A Body of Practical Divinity

Secondly, Having spoken of the Sacrament of Baptism, I come now to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is the most Spiritual and sweet Ordinance that ever was instituted. Here we have to do more immediately with the Person of Christ. In Prayer we draw nigh to God, in the Sacrament we become one with him. In Prayer we look up to Christ, in the Sacrament by Faith we touch him. In the Word Preached we hear Christ's Voice, in the Sacrament we feed on him.

Quest. 1. What Names and Titles in Scripture are given to the Sacrament?

Resp. 1. It is called, (1.) Mensa Domini, The Lord's Table, 1 Cor. 10.21. The Papists call it an Altar, not a Table. The Reason is, because they turn the Sacrament into a Sacrifice, and pretend to offer up Christ corporally in the Ma • s. It being the Lord's Table, shows with what Reverence and solemn Devotion we should approach to these Holy Mysteries. The Lord takes notice of the Frame of our Hearts when we come to his Table. Matth. 22.11. The King came in to see the Guests. We dress ourselves when we come to the Table of some Great Monarch. We should think with ourselves, we are going to the Table of the Lord, therefore should dress ourselves by Holy Meditation and Heart-Consideration. Many think it is enough to come to the Sacrament, but mind not whether they come in Due Order . Perhaps they had scarce a serious Thought before whither they were going: All their Dressing was by the Glass, not by the Bible. Chrysostom calls it, The dreadful Table of the Lord : So it is to such as come unworthily. (2.) The The Sacrament is called Coena Domini, the Lord's Supper, 1 Cor. 11.20. to import, it is a Spiritual Feast : It is indeed a Royal Feast, God is in this Cheer. Christ in both Natures, God and Man, is the matter of this Supper. (3.) The Sacrament is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Communion, 1 Cor. 10.16. The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? The Sacrament being called a Communion, shows,

1. That this Ordinance is only for Believers, because none else can have Communion with Christ in these Holy Mysteries. — Communio fundatur in • nione : Faith only gives us Union with Christ, and by Virtue of this we have Communion with him in his Body and Blood. None but the Spouse communicates with her Husband. A Stranger may drink of his Cup, but she only hath his Heart, and communicates with him in a Conjugal manner: So Strangers may have the Sign, drink of the Cup, but only Believers drink Christ's Blood, and have Communion with him in his Privileges.

2. The Sacrament being a Communion, shows, That it is Symbolum Amoris, a Bond of that Unity and Charity which should be among Christians. 1 Cor. 10.17. We being many are one Body. As many Grains make One Bread, so many Christistians are one Body. A Sacrament is a Love-Feast. The Primitive Christians (as Justin Martyr notes) had their Holy Salutations at the Blessed Supper, in token of that Dearness of Affection which they did bear each to other. It is a Communion, therefore there must be Love and Union. The Israelites did eat the Passover with Bitter Herbs, so must we eat the Sacrament with bitter Herbs of Repentance, but not with bitter Hearts of Wrath and Malice. The Hearts of the Communicants should be knit together with the Bond of Love. Thou braggest of thy Faith, (saith Austin) but show me thy Faith by thy Love to the Saints. For as in the Sun, Light and Heat are inseparable, so Faith and Love are twisted together inseparably. Where there are Divisions, the Lord's Supper is not properly a Communion, but a Disunion.

Quest. 2. What is the Lord's Supper?

Resp. It is a visible Sermon, wherein Christ crucified is set before us; or it is a Sacrament of the New Testament, wherein by receiving the Holy Elements of Bread and Wine, our Communion with Christ is signified and sealed up to us. Or thus: It is a Sacrament Divinely Instituted, wherein by giving and receiving Bread and Wine, Christ's Death is shown forth, and the worthy Receivers are by Faith made Partakers of his Body and Blood, and all the Benefits flowing from thence. For the further explaining of the Nature of the Lord's Supper, I shall look back to to the Institution.

1. Jesus] took Bread. Here is the Master of the Feast, or the Institutor of the Sacrament. The Lord Jesus he took Bread. He only is fit to Institute a Sacrament, who is able to give Virtue and Blessing to it.

2. He took Bread. ] Christ's Taking of the Bread was one Part of his Consecration of the Elements, and setting them apart for an Holy Use. And as Christ did consecrate the Elements, so we must labor to have our Hearts consecrated before we receive these Holy Mysteries in the Lord's Supper. How unseemly a Sight is it to see any come to these Holy Elements, having Hearts leavened with Pride, Covetousness, Envy! These do with Judas receive the Devil in the Sop, and are no better than Crucifyers of the Lord of Glory.

3. And Blessed it. ] This is another Part of the Consecration of the Element, Christ blessed it: He blesseth, and it shall be blessed. Viz. He looked up to Heaven for a Benediction upon this Ordinance newly founded.

4. And Brake it. ] The Bread broken, and the Wine poured out, was to signify to us the Agony and Ignominy of Christ's Sufferings, the Rending of Christ's Body on the Cross, and that Effusion of Blood which was distilled from his blessed Sides.

5. And gave it] to them. Christ's giving the Bread, denotes Christ's giving of himself and all his Benefits to us freely. Tho Christ was sold, yet given. Judas did sell Christ, but Christ gave himself to us.

6. He gave it to Them,] viz. The Disciples. This is Children's Bread; Christ doth not cast these Pearl before Swine. Whether Judas were present at the Supper is controverted, I rather incline to think he was not: For Christ said to the Disciples, This is my Blood which is shed for you, Luke 22.20. Christ knew his Blood was never shed effectually and intentionally for Judas. In eating the Passover Christ gave Judas a Sop, which was a Bit of Unleavened Bread dipt in a Sauce made with bitter Herbs; Judas having received the Sop, went immediately out, John 13. But suppose Judas were there, though he received the Element, yet not the Blessing.

7. Take, Eat. ] This Expression of Eating denotes Four things. (1.) The near mystical Union between Christ and his Saints. As the Meat which is eaten incorporates with the Body, and becomes one with it; so by eating Christ's Flesh, and drinking his Blood Spiritually, we partake of Christ's Merits and Graces, and are mystically one with him. John 17.23. I in them. (2.) Take, eat. Eating shows the infinite Delight the believing Soul hath in Christ. Eating is grateful and pleasing to the Pallat: So feeding on Christ by a lively Faith is delicious. Nullus animae suavior cibus. Lactantius. No such sweet feeding as on Christ crucified. This is a Feast of Fat things, and Wine on Lees w • ll refined. (3.) Take, eat. Eating denotes Nourishment. Meat, as it is delicious to the Pallat, so it is nourishing to the Body. So eating Christ's Flesh, and drinking his Blood, is nutritive to the Soul. The new Creature is nourished at the Table of the Lord to everlasting Life. John 6.54. Whoso eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, hath eternal Life. (4.) Take, eat, shows the Wisdom of God, who restores us by the same means by which we fell. We fell by Taking and Eating the Forbidden Fruit, and we are recovered again by Taking and Eating of Christ's Flesh. We died by eating the Tree of Knowledge, and we live by eating the Tree of Life.

8. This is my Body. ] These Words, Hoc est Corpus meum, have been much controverted between us and the Papists. This is my Body, that is, by a Metonymy, It is a Sign and Figure of my Body. The Papists hold Transubstantiation, that the Bread is after Consecration turned into the very Substance of Christ's Body. We say we receive Christ's Body Spiritually, they say they receive Christ's Body Carnally, which is contrary to Scripture. The Scripture affirms, that the Heavens must receive Christ's Body until the times of the restitution of all things, Acts 3.21. Christ's Body cannot be at the same time in Heaven and in the Host. Aquinas saith,

Besides, it is absurd to imagine, that the Bread in the Sacrament should be turned into Christ's Flesh, and that his Body which was hung before, should be made again of Bread. So that This is my Body, is as if Christ had said, This is a Sign and Representation of my Body.

9. And he took the Cup. ] The Cup is put by a Metonymy of the Subject for the Adjunct, for the Wine in the Cup ; it signifies the Blood of Christ shed for our Sins. The taking of the Cup, denotes the Redundancy of Merit in Christ, and the Fulness of our Redemption by him. He not only took the Bread, but the Cup.

10. And when he had given Thanks. ] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Christ gave Thanks that God had given these Elements of Bread and Wine to be Signs and Seals of Man's Redemption by Christ. Christ's giving of Thanks, shows his Philanthropy, or Love to Mankind, who did so rejoice and bless God, that Lost Man was now in a way of Recovery, and that he should be raised higher in Christ than ever he was in Innocency.

11. He gave the Cup to them. ] Why then dare any with-hold the Cup? This is to pollute and curtail the Ordinance, and alter it from its Primitive Institution. Christ and his Apostles administered the Sacrament in both Kinds, the Bread and the Cup, 1 Cor. 11.24, 25. And the Cup was received in the ancient Church for the space of 1400 Years, as is confessed by Two Popish Councils. Christ saith expressly, Drink ye all of this. He doth not say, Eat ye all of this: But, Drink ye all ; as foreseeing the Sacrilegious Impiety of the Church of Rome in keeping back the Cup from the People. The Popish Council of Constance speaks plainly, but impudently,

Thus as the Popish Priests make Christ but half a Savior, so they administer to the People but half a Sacrament. The Sacrament is Christ's Last Will and Testament, in the Text, This is my Blood of the New Testament. Now to alter or take away anything from a Man's Will and Testament, is a great Impiety. What is it then to alter and mangle Christ's Last Will and Testament? Sure 'tis an high Affront to Christ.

Quest. 3. What are the Ends of the Lord's Supper?

Resp. 1. It is an Ordinance appointed to confirm our Faith. John 4.48. Except ye see Signs ye will not believe. Christ sets the Elements before us, that by these Signs our Faith may be strengthened. As Faith cometh by hearing, so it is confirmed by seeing Christ crucified. The Sacrament is not only a Sign to represent Christ, but a Seal to confirm our Interest in him.

Object. But it is the Spirit confirms Faith, therefore not the Sacrament.

Answ. This is no good Logic. The Spirit confirms Faith, therefore not the Sacrament, is as if one should say, God feeds our Bodies, therefore Bread doth not feed us; whereas God feeds us by Bread: So the Spirit confirms our Faith by the Use of the Sacrament.

2. The End of the Sacrament is to keep up the Memory of Christ's Death. 1 Cor. 11.25. This do ye 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in remembrance of me. If a Friend give us a Ring at his Death, we wear it to keep up the Memory of our Friend. Much more then ought we to keep up the Memorial of Christ's Death in the Sacrament! Christ's Death lays a Foundation for all the magnificent Blessings which we receive from Christ. The Covenant of Grace was agreed on in Heaven, but sealed upon the Cross. Christ hath sealed all the Articles of Peace in his Blood. Remission of Sin flows from Christ's Death, Matth. 26.28. This is my Blood of the New Testament shed for many for the Remission of Sins. Consecration, or making us Holy, is the Fruit of Christ's Death. Heb. 9.14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ purge your Conscience! Christ's Intercession is made available to us by Virtue of his Death. Christ could not have been admitted an Advocate, if he had not been first a Sacrifice. Our entering into Heaven is the Fruit of Christ's Blood, Heb. 10.19. Christ could not have prepared Mansions for us, if he had not first purchased them by his Death: So that we have a great deal of cause to commemorate Christ's Death in the Sacrament.

Quest. In what Manner are we to remember the Lord's Death in the Sacrament?

Answ. It is not only an Historical Remembrance of Christ's Death and Passion: Thus Judas remembers Christ's Death, and how he betrayed him: And Pilate remembers Christ', Death, and how he crucified him: But our remembering Christ's Death in the Sacrament, must be,

(1.) A Mournful Remembrance. We must not be able to look on Christ crucified with dry Eyes. Zech. 12.10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and mourn over him. O Christian, when thou lookest on Christ in the Sacrament, remember how oft thou hast crucified him! The Jews did it but once, thou often. Every Oath is a Nail with which thou piercest his Hands: Every unjust sinful Action is a Spear with which thou woundest his Heart. O remember Christ with Sorrow, to think thou shouldst make his Wounds bleed afresh!

(2.) It must be a Ioyful Remembrance, John 8.56. Abraham saw my Day and rejoiced. When a Christian sees a Sacrament Day approach he should rejoice. This Ordinance of the Supper is an Earnest of Heaven; 'tis the Glass in which we see him whom our Souls love: It is the Chariot by which we are carried up to Christ. When Jacob saw the Waggons and Chariots which were to carry him to his Son Joseph, his Spirit revived, Gen. 45.27. God hath appointed the Sac •• meant, on purpose to cheer and revive a sad Heart. When we look on our Sins, • e have cause to mourn; but when we see Christ's Blood shed for our Sins, this may make us rejoice. In the Sacrament our Wants are supplied, our Strength is renewed: Here we meet with Christ, and doth not this call for Joy? A Woman that hath been long debarred from the Society of her Husband, how glad is she of his Presence! At the Sacrament the believing Spouse meets with Christ: He saith to her, All I have is thine. My Love is thine to pity thee, my Mercy is thine to save thee. How can we think in the Sacrament on Christ's Blood shed, and not rejoice. Sanguis Christi clavis Paradisi. Christ's Blood is the Key which opens Heaven, else we had been all shut out.

3. End of the Sacrament is, to work in us an endeared Love to Christ. When Christ bleeds over us, well may we say, Behold how he loved us! Who can see Christ die, and not be Sick of Love ? That is an Heart of stone, whom Christ's Love will not melt.

4. End of the Sacrament; the mortifying of Corruption. To see Christ crucified for us, is a means to crucify sin in us. Christ's Death (like the Water of Jealousy) makes the Thigh of Sin to rot, Numb. 5.27. How can a Wife endure to see that Spear which killed her Husband? How can we endure those sins which made Christ veil his Glory, and lose his Blood? When the People of Rome saw Caesar 's bloody Robe, they were incensed against them that slew him. Sin hath rent the White Robe of Christ's Flesh, and died it of a crimson Colour: The Thoughts of this will make us seek to be avenged on our sins.

5. End, the Augmentation and Encrease of all the Graces, Hope, Zeal, Patience. The Word Preached begets Grace, the Lord's Supper nourisheth it: The Body by feeding increaseth Strength, so doth the Soul by feeding on Christ Sacramentally. Cum defecerit virtus mea calicem salutarem accipiam. Bern.

There is difference between Dead Stones and Living Plants. The Wicked who are Stones receive no spiritual Encrease, but the Godly, who are Plants of Righteousness, being watered with Christ's Blood, grow more fruitful in Grace.

Quest. 4. Why are we to receive this Holy Supper?

Answ. Because it is a Duty incumbent, Take, Eat. And observe, it is a Command of Love. If Christ had commanded us some great matter, would not we have done it? 2 Kings 5.13. If the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? If Christ had enjoined us to have given him a Thousand of Rams, or to have parted with the Fruit of our Bodies, would we not have done it? Much more when he only saith, Take and Eat : Let my broken Body feed you, let my Blood poured out save you. Take and Eat : This is a Command of Love, and shall we not readily obey?

2. We are to celebrate the Lord's Supper, because it is a provoking to Christ to stay away. Prov. 9.2. Wisdom hath furnished her Table. So Christ hath furnished his Table, set Bread and Wine (representing his Body and Blood) before his Guests, and they willfully turn their Backs upon the Ordinance, Christ looks upon it as a slighting of his Love, and that makes the Fury rise up in his Face. Luke 14.24. For I say unto you, that none of those that were bidden shall taste of my Supper. I will shut them out of my Kingdom, I will provide them a black Banquet, where weeping shall be the first Course, and gnashing of Teeth the Second.

Quest. 5. Whether the Lord's Supper be oft to be Administred?

Resp. Yes: 1 Cor. 11.26. As oft as ye eat of this Bread. The Ordinance is not to be celebrated once in a Year, or once in our Lives, but often. A Christians own Necessities may make him come often hither. His Corruptions are strong, therefore he had need come often hither for an Antidote to expel the Poison of Sin; and his Graces are weak. Grace is like a Lamp, if it be not often fed with Oil, it is apt to go out. How therefore do they sin against God, who come but very seldom to this Ordinance! Can they thrive, who for a long time forbear their Food? And others there are who do wholly forbear. This is a great Contempt offered to Christ's Ordinance. Men do as it were tacitly say, Let Christ keep his Feast to himself. What a cross-grain'd piece is Man, he will Eat when he should not, and he will not eat when he should. When God said, Eat not of this forbidden Fruit, then he will be sure to eat: When God saith, Eat of this Bread, and Drink of this Cup, then he refuseth to eat.

Quest. 6. Are all to come promiscuously to this Holy Ordinance?

Resp. No, that were to make the Lord's Table an Ordinary. Christ forbids to cast Pearls before Swine. The Sacramental Bread is Children's Bread, and it is not to be cast to the Profane. As at the giving of the Law God set Bounds about the Mount that none might touch it: So God's Table should be guarded, that the Profane should not come near. In the Primitive Times, after Sermon done, and they were going to Celebrate the Lord's Supper, an Officer stood up and cried, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ,

The wicked do not eat Christ's Flesh, but tear it; they do not drink his Blood, but spill it. These Holy Mysteries in the Sacraments are tremenda mysteria, Mysteries that the Soul is to tremble at. Sinners defile the Holy things of God, they poison the Sacramental Cup. We read that the wicked are to be set at Christ's Feet, Psal. 110. not at his Table.

Quest. 7. How may we receive the Supper of the Lord worthily, that so it may become effectual to us?

Resp. That we may receive it worthily, and it may become Efficacious,

(1.) We must solemnly prepare ourselves before we come: We must not rush upon the Ordinance rudely and irreverently, but come in due order. There was a great deal of Preparation to the Passover; 2 Chron. 30.18, 19. And the Sacrament comes in the room of it.

Quest. Wherein doth this Solemn Preparing for the Ordinance consist?

Resp. 1. In Examining ourselves.

2. In Dressing our Souls before we come, which is by washing in the Water of Repentance.

3. By exciting the Habit of Grace into Exercise.

4. In begging a Blessing upon the Ordinance.

(1.) Solemn Preparing for the Sacrament consists in Self-examining. 1 Cor. 11.28. But let a Man examine himself, and so let him eat. It is not only a Counsel but a Charge: Let him examine himself. As if a King should say, Let it be enacted. Jesus Christ having by his Institution consecrated these Elements in the Supper to an high Mystery, they represent his Body and Blood : Therefore there must be Preparation ; and if Preparation, then there must be first Examining ourselves, without which there can be no Preparation. Let us be serious in this examining ourselves, our Salvation depends upon it. We are curious in examining other things: We will not take Gold, but examine it by the Touch-stone: We will not take Land, but we will examine the Title. And shall not we be as exact and curious in examining the state of our Souls?

Quest. 1. What is required to this Self-examining?

Resp. There must be a Solemn Retiring of the Soul. We must set ourselves apart, and retire for some time from all Secular Employment, that we may be more serious in this Work. There is no casting up of Accounts in a Crowd; nor can we examine ourselves when we are in a Crowd of Worldly Businesses. We read, a Man that was in a Journey might not come to the Passover, Numb. 9.13. because his Mind was full of Secular Cares, and his Thoughts were taken up about his Journey. When we are upon Self-examining-work, we had not need be in an Hurry, or have any distracting Thoughts, but retire and lock up ourselves in our Closet, that we may be more intent in the Work.

Quest. 2. What is Self-examination?

Resp. It is a setting up a Court in Conscience, and keeping a Register there, that by a strict Scrutiny a Man may see how Matters stand between God and his Soul. Self-examination is a Spiritual Inquisition, an Heart-Anatomy, whereby a Man takes his Heart as a Watch, all in pieces, and sees what is defective there. It is a Dialogue with ones self. Psal. 77.7. I commune with my own Heart. David called himself to Account, and put Interrogatories to his own Heart. Self-examining is a critical Descant or Search; as the Woman in the Parable did light a Candle, and search for her lost Groat, Luke 15.8. So Conscience is the Candle of t •• Lord. Search with this Candle what thou canst find wrought by the Spirit in thee?

Quest. 3. What is the Rule by which we must Examine ourselves?

Resp. The Rule or Measure we must Examine ourselves by, is, the Holy Scripture: We must not make Fancy, or the good Opinion which others have of us, the Rule by which we judge of ourselves: But as the Goldsmith brings his Gold to the Touch-stone, so must we bring our Hearts to a Scripture Touch-stone: To the Law, to the Testimony, Isa. 8.20. What saith the Word? Are we divorced from Sin? Are we renewed by the Spirit? Let the Word decide whether we are fit Communicants or no. We judge of Colours by the Sun; so must we judge of the state of our Souls by the Sun-light of Scripture.

Quest. 4. What are the cogent Reasons why we must Examine ourselves before we approach to the Lord's Table?

Resp. 1. It is a Duty imposed; Let him examine himself. The Passover was not to be eaten Raw, Exod. 12.19. To come to such an Ordinance slightly, without Examination, is to come in an undue manner, and is like Eating the Passover Raw.

2. We must examine ourselves before we come, because it is not only a Duty imposed, but opposed. There is nothing the Heart naturally is more averse from, than Self-exemination. We may know that Duty is good, which the Heart opposeth. But why doth the Heart so oppose it? Because it doth cross the Tide of Corrupt Nature ; 'tis contrary to Flesh and Blood. The Heart is guilty ; and doth a guilty Person love to be examined? The Heart opposeth it, therefore the rather set upon it. That Duty is good which the Heart opposeth.

3. Because Self-examining is so needful a Work; as appears: (1.) Without Self-examination a Man can never tell how it is with him, whether he hath Grace or no; and this must needs be very uncomfortable. He knows not if he should die presently, what will become of him, or to what Coast he shall sail, whether to Hell or Heaven. As Socrates said, I am about to die, and the gods know whether I shall be happy or miserable. How needful therefore is Self-examination, that a Man by Search may come to know the true state of his Soul, and may guess how it will go with him to Eternity.

(2.) Self-examination is needful in respect of the Excellency of the Sacrament. Let him eat de illo Pane, Of that Bread, 1 Cor. 11.28. That excellent Bread, that consecrated Bread, that Bread which is not only the Bread of the Lord, but the Bread the Lord. Let him drink de illo Poculo, Of that Cup ; that precious Cup which is perfumed and spic'd with Christ's Love; that Cup which holds the Blood of God Sacramentally. Cleopatra put a Jewel in a Cup, which contained the price of a Kingdom. This Sacred Cup we are to drink of, enriched with the Blood of God, is above the Price of a Kingdom: It is more worth than Heaven. Therefore coming to such a Royal Feast, having whole Christ, his Divine and Human Nature to feed on, how should we examine ourselves beforehand, that we may be fit Guests for such a Magnificent Banquet!

(3.) Self-examining is needful, because God will examine us. That was a sad Question, Matth. 22.12. Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a Wedding Garment? Men are loath to ask themselves the Question, O my Soul, art thou a fit Guest for the Lord's Table? Are there not some Sins thou hast to bewail? Are there not some Evidences for Heaven that thou hast to get? Now when Persons will not ask themselves the Question, then God will bring such a Question as this to them, How came ye in hither to my Table not prepared? How came ye in hither with an unbelieving or profane Heart? It will be such a Question as will cause an Heart-trembling. God will examine a Man as the chief Captain did Paul with Scourging, Acts 22.24. 'It is true, the best Saint, if God should weigh him in the Ballance, would be sound defective. But when a Christian hath made an impartial Search, and hath labored to deal uprightly between God and his own Soul, Christ's Merits will cast in some Grains of Allowance into the Scales.

(4.) Self-examining is needful, because of that Secret Corruption in the Heart, which will not be found out without searching. There are in the Heart Plangendae Tenebrae, Aug. Hidden Pollutions. It is with a Christian, as with Joseph 's Brethren, when the Steward accused them of having the Cup; they were ready to swear they had not the Cup in their Sack, but upon Search it was found there. Little doth a Christian think what Pride, Atheism, Uncleanness is in his Heart till he searcheth. Therefore if there be such hidden Wickedness, like a Spring that runs under Ground, we had need examine ourselves, that finding out our secret Sin, we may be humbled and repent. Hidden Sins, if not searched out, defile the Soul. If Corn lie long in the Chaff, the Chaff defiles the Corn; hidden Sins lain long in, defile our Duties. Needful therefore it is before we come to the Holy Supper, to search out these hidden Sins, as Israel searched for Leaven before they came to the Passover.

(5.) Self-examining is needful, because without it we may easily have a Cheat put upon us. Ier. 17.9. The Heart is deceitful above all things. Many a Man's Heart will tell him, he is fit for the Lord's Table. As when Christ asked the Sons of Zebedee, Matth. 20.22. Are ye able to drink the Cup I shall drink of? Can ye drink such a Bloody Cup of Suffering? They say unto him, We are able. So the Heart will suggest to a Man, He is fit to drink of the Sacramental Cup, he hath on the Wedding Garment. Grande profundum est homo, Aug. The Heart is a Grand Impostor. It is like a cheating Tradesman, which will put one off with bad Wares. The Heart will put a Man off with •• eming Grace instead of saving. A Tear or two shed is Repentance, a few lazy Desires is Faith. Blue and red Flowers that grow among the Corn look like good Flowers, but they are beautiful Weeds. The foolish Virgins Lamps looked as if they had had Oil in them, but they had none. Therefore to prevent a Cheat, that we may not take False Grace instead of True, we had need make a thorough Disquisition and Search of our Hearts before we come to the Lord's Table.

(6.) Self-examining is needful, because of those False Fears the Godly are apt to nourish in their Hearts, which make them go sad to the Sacrament. As they who have no Grace for want of Examining, presume ; so they who have Grace, for want of Examining, are ready to despair. Many of God's Children look upon themselves through the black Spectacles of Fear. They fear Christ is not formed in them, they fear they have no Right to the Promise; and these Fears in the Heart cause Tears in the Eye: Whereas would they but search and examine, they might find they had Grace. Are not their Hearts humbled for Sin? And what is this but the bruised Reed? Do they not weep after the Lord? And what are these Tears but Seeds of Faith? Do they not Thirst after Christ in an Ordinance? What is this but the New Creature crying for the Breast? Here are, you see, Seeds of Grace; and would Christians examine their Hearts, they might see there is something of God in them, and so their false Fears would be prevented, and they might approach with Comfort to these Holy Mysteries in the Eucharist.

(7.) Self-examining is needful, in respect of the Danger in coming unworthily without Examination, 1 Cor. 11.27. He shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Par facit quasi Christum trucidaret. Grotius.— i. e. God reckons with him as with a Crucifyer of the Lord Jesus. He doth not Drink Christ's Blood, but sheds it, and so brings that Curse upon him as the Jews, His Blood be upon us and our Children. The Virtue of Christ's Blood nothing more comfortable, the Guilt of it nothing more Formidable.

4. We must examine ourselves before the Sacrament, in respect of the Difficulty of Self-examining Work. Difficulty raiseth a Noble Spirit. Self-examining is difficult: (1.) Because it is an Inward Work, it lies most with the Heart. External Acts of Devotion are easy : To lift up the Eye, to bow the Knee, to read over a few Prayers, this is as easy as for the Papists to tell over a few Beads. But to examine a Man's self, to take the Heart as a Watch, all in pieces, to make a Scripture-Trial of our Fitness for the Lord's Supper, this is not easy. Reflexive Acts are hardest : The Eye cannot see its self but by a Glass. We must have the Glass of the Word and Conscience to see our own Hearts. 'It is easy to spy the Faults of others, but it is hard to find out our own. (2.) Self-examination is difficult in regard of Self-Love. As Ignorance blinds, so Self-love flatters. What Solomon saith of Love, Prov. 10.12. Love covereth all Sins, is most true of Self-love. A Man looking upon himself in the Glass of Self-love, (that flattering Glass) his Virtues appear greater than they are, and his Sins lesser. Self-love makes a Man rather excuse himself, than examine himself. Self-love makes one think the best of himself; and he who hath a good Opinion of himself, doth not suspect himself; and not suspecting himself, he is not forward to Examine himself. The Work therefore of self-Examination being so difficult, it requires the more Impartiality and Industry. Difficulty should be a Spur to Diligence.

5. We must examine ourselves before we come, because of the Beneficialness of Self-examination. The Benefit is great which way soever things turn. If upon Examination we find that we have not Grace in Truth, then the Mistake is discovered, and the Danger prevented. If we find that we have Grace, we may take the Comfort of it. He who upon Search finds that he hath the Minimum quod sic, The least Degree of Grace, he is like one that hath found his Box of Evidences, he is an happy Man, he is a fit Guest at the Lord's Table, he is Heir to all the Promises, he is as sure to go to Heaven as if he were in Heaven already. These are the Reasons why we must examine ourselves before we approach to the Lord's Table.

Quest. 5. What must we Examine?

Answ. 1. Our Sins.

2. Our Graces.

First, Our Sins. Search if any dead Fly might spoil this sweet Ointment. When we come to the Sacrament, we should do as the Jews did before the Passover; they searched for Leaven, and having found it did burn it. 1. Let us search for the Leaven of Pride : This sours our Holy things. We are born with a Spiritual Tympany. Will an humble Christ be received into a Proud Heart? Pride keeps Christ out— Intus existens prohibit alienum —"Pride swells the Heart; and Christ cannot come into the Heart if it be full already. To a proud Man Christ's Blood hath no Virtue, 'tis like Dioscordium put into a dead Man's Mouth, which loseth its Virtue. Let us search for this Leaven of Pride and cast it away. 2. Let us search for the Levaen of Avarice. The Lord's Supper is a Spiritual Mystery, it represents Christ's Body and Blood; what should an earthly Heart do here? The Earth puts out the Fire. Earthliness quencheth the Fire of holy Love. The Earth is Elementum Gravissimum, it cannot ascend. A Soul belimed with Earth cannot ascend to Heavenly Cogitations. Col. 3.5. Covetousness which is Idolatry. Will Christ come into that Heart where there is an Idol? Search for this Leaven before you come to this Ordinance. How can an earthly Heart converse with that God which is a Spirit? Can a Clod of Earth kiss the Sun? 3. Search for the Leaven of Hypocrisy. Luke 12.1. Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy. Aquinas describes it, Simulatio Virtutis. Hypocrisy is a counterfeiting of Virtue. The Hypocrite is a living Pageant, he only makes a show of Religion: He gives God his Knee, but no Heart; and God gives him Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, but no Christ. Oh let us search for this Leaven of Hypocrisy, and burn it!

Secondly, We must examine our Graces. I shall instance only in one, Our Knowledge.

• 1. Whether we have Knowledge.
• 2. Whether it be rightly Qualified.

(1.) We are to examine whether we have Knowledge, else we cannot give God a reasonable Service, Rom. 12.1. Knowledge is a necessary Requisite in a Communicant. Without Knowledge there can be no Fitness for the Sacrament. A Person cannot be fit to come to the Lord's Table who hath no Goodness, but without Knowledge the Mina is not good, Prov. 19.2. Some say they have good Hearts, though they want Knowledge. As if one should say, His Eye is good, but it wants Sight. Under the Law, when the Plague of Leprosy was in a Man's Head, the Priest was to pronounce him unclean. The ignorant Person hath the Plague in his Head, he is unclean. Ignorance is the Womb of Lust, 1 Pet. 1.14. Therefore it is requisite before we come, to Examine ourselves what Knowledge we have in the main Fundamentals of Religion. Let it not be said of us, that to this Day the Vail is upon our Heart, 2 Cor. 3.15. But sure in this Intelligent Age we cannot but have some Insight into the Mysteries of the Gospel. I rather fear, we are like Rachel, who was fair and well-sighted, but barren: Therefore,

(2.) Let us examine whether our Knowledge be rightly Qualified. 1. Is it Influential? Doth our Knowledge warm our Heart? Claritas in intellectu parit ardorem in affectu. Saving Knowledge doth not only direct, but quicken : 'It is Lumen Vitae, the Light of Life, John 8.12. 2. Is our Knowledge Practical? We hear much; do we live the Truths we know? That is the right Knowledge which doth not only adorn the Mind, but reform the Life.

Secondly, This solemn preparing for the Sacrament, as it consists in examining ourselves, so in dressing our Souls before we come. And this Soul-dress is in two things.

1. Washing in the Laver of Repenting Tears: To come to this Ordinance with the Guilt of any sin unrepented of, makes way for the further hardening of our Heart, and giving Satan fuller possession of us. Zech. 12.10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and shall mourn for him. The Cloud of Sorrow must drop into Tears. We must grieve as for the Pollution, so for the Vnkindness in every sin: To sin against Christ's Love who died for us. When Peter thought of Christ's Love, who called him out of his Unregeneracy, made him an Apostle, and carried him up to the Mount of Transfiguration, where he saw the Glory of Heaven in a Vision, and then to think of his Denying Christ, it broke his Heart, he wept bitterly, Matth. 26.75. To think before we come to a Sacrament of our sins against the Bowel-Mercies of God the Father, the bleeding Wounds of God the Son, the blessed Inspirations of God the Holy Ghost, it is enough to broach our Eyes with Tears, and put us into an Holy Agony of Grief and Compunction: And we must be so distressed for sin, as to be divorced from sin. The Serpent before he drinks casts up his Poison. In this we must be wise as Serpents; before we drink of the Sacramental Cup, we must cast up the Poison of sin by Repentance. Ille vere plangit commissa, qui non committit plangenda —He doth truly bewail the sins he hath committed, who doth not commit the sins he hath bewailed. And this is the Dressing our Souls before we come, washing in the Waters of true Rpentance.

2. The Soul-dress is the exciting and stirring up the Habit of Grace into a lively Exercise. 2 Tim. 1.6. I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the Gift of God which is in thee : i. e. The Gifts and Graces of the Spirit. The Greek Word to stir up, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , signifies to blow up Grace into a Flame. Grace is oft like Fire in the Embers, which needs blowing up. It is possible that even a good Man may not come so well disposed to this Ordinance, because he hath not before taken pains with his Heart to come in Due Order : He hath not stirred up Grace into its vigorous Exercise, and so, though he doth not eat and drink Damnation, yet he doth not receive Consolation in the Sacrament. Thus you see what this Dressing of our Souls is, before we come.

Thirdly, This Solemn preparing for the Sacrament is, in begging a Blessing upon the Ordinance. The Sacrament is not like Physic, which hath an inherent operative Virtue: No, but the Efficacy of the Sacrament depends upon the Co-operation of the Spirit, and a Word of Blessing. In the Institution Christ blessed the Elements. Jesus took Bread and blessed it. In the Text, the Sacrament, will no further do us good, then as it is blessed to us. We ought then before we come, to pray for a Blessing on the Ordinance, that the Sacrament may be not only a Sign to represent, but a Seal to confirm, and an Instrument to convey Christ and all his Benefits to us. We are to pray that this great Ordinance may be Poison to our Sins, and Food to our Graces: That as it was with Jonathan, when he had tasted the Honey-Comb, his Eyes mere enlightened, 1 Sam. 14.27. So that by our receiving this Holy Eucharist, our Eyes may be so enlightened, as to discern the Lord's Body. Thus should we implore a Blessing upon the Ordinance before we come. The Sacrament is like a Tree hung full of Fruit; but none of this Fruit will fall, unless shaken by the Hand of Prayer.

(2.) That the Sacrament may be effectual to us, as there must be a Due Preparing for it, so a right partaking of it: Which right Participation of the Sacrament is in Three Things:

1. When we draw nigh to God's Table in an humble Sense of our Vnworthiness. We do not deserve one Crumb of the Bread of Life; we are poor Indigent Creatures who have lost our Glory, and are like a Vessel that is Shipwrack'd: We smite on our Breast as the Publican, God be merciful to us Sinners. This is a right Partaking of the Ordinance. 'It is part of our Worthiness to see our Unworthiness.

2. We rightly partake of the Sacrament, when at the Lord's Table we are filled with Anhelations of Soul, and inflamed Desires after Christ, and nothing can quench our Thirst but his Blood. Matth. 5.6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Blessed are they that thirst. They are blessed not only when they are filled, but while they are thirsting.

3. A right participation of the Supper is, when we receive in Faith. Without Faith we get no good. What is said of the Word Preached, It profiteth not, not being mixed with Faith, Heb. 4.2. is as true of the Sacrament. Christ turned Stones into Bread: Unbelief turns the Bread into Stones, that it doth not nourish. Then we partake aright when we come in Faith. Faith hath a twofold Act, an adhering and an applying. By the first Act we go over to Christ, by the second Act we bring Christ over to us, Gal. 2.20. This is the great Grace we must set awork, Acts 10.43. Philo calls it, Fides Occulata, Faith is the Eagle Eye that discerns the Lord's Body: Faith causeth a virtual Contact, it toucheth Christ. Christ said to Mary, Touch me not, &c. John 20.17. She was not to touch him with the Hands of her Body. But he saith to us, Touch me, Touch me with the Hand of your Faith. Faith makes Christ present to the Soul. The Believer hath a real Presence in the Sacrament. The Body of the Sun is in the Firmament, but the Light of the Sun is in the Eye. Christ's Essence is in Heaven, but he is in a Believers Heart by his Light and Influence. Eph. 3.17. That Christ may dwell in your Heart by Faith. Faith is the Pallat which tastes Christ, 1 Pet. 2.3. Faith makes a Concoction; it causeth the Bread of Life to nourish . Faith causeth a Coalition, it makes us one with Christ, Eph. 1.23. Other Graces make us like Christ, Faith makes us Members of Christ.

Fourthly, Then we partake aright of the Sacrament, when we receive in Love.

(1.) Love to Christ. Who can see Christ pierced with a Crown of Thorns, sweating in his Agony, bleeding on the Cross, but his Heart must needs be endeared in Love to him? How can we but love him, who hath given his Life a ransom for us? Love is the Spiced Wine and Juice of the Pomegranate which we must give Christ, Cant. 8.2. Our Love to this Superior and Blessed Jesus, must exceed our Love to other things; as the Oil runs above the Water. Tho' we cannot with Mary bring our costly Ointment to anoint Christ's Body, yet we do more than this, when we bring him our Love, which is sweeter to him than all Oyntments and Perfumes.

(2.) Love to the Saints. This is a Love-Feast. Tho' we must eat this Supper with the Bitter Herbs of Repentance, yet not with the bitter Herbs of Malice. Were it not sad, if all the Meat one eats should turn to bad Humours? He who comes in Malice to the Lord's Table, all he eats is to his hurt: He eats and drinks Damnation to himself, 1 Cor. 11.29.—Come in Love. It is with Love as it is with Fire: You keep Fire all the Day upon the Hearth, but upon special occasions you draw the Fire out larger. So though we must have Love to all, yet to the Saints who are our Fellow-Members, here we must draw out the Fire of our Love larger; and we must show the Largeness of our Affections to them, by prizing their Persons, by choosing their Company, by doing all Offices of Love to them; counseling them in their Doubts, comforting them in their Fears, supplying them in their Wants. Thus one Christian may be an Eben-ezer to another, and as an Angel of God to him. The Sacrament cannot be effectual to him, who doth not receive in Love. If a Man drinks Poison, and then takes a Cordial, the Cordial will do him little good. He who hath the Poison of Malice in his Soul, the Cordial of Christ's Blood will do him no good: Come therefore in Love and Charity. And thus we see how we may receive the Supper of the Lord, that it may be Effectual to our Salvation.

Use I. From the whole Doctrine of the Sacrament, learn, How precious should a Sacrament be to us! It is a Sealed Deed to make over the Blessings of the New Covenant to us, [Justification, Sanctification, Glory.] A small piece of Wax put to a Parchment is made the Instrument to confirm a rich Conveyance or Lordship to another: So these Elements in the Sacrament of Bread and Wine, though in themselves of no great value, yet being consecrated to be Seals to Confirm the Covenant of Grace to us, so they are of more value than all the Riches of the Indies.

Use II. The Sacrament being such an Holy Mystery, let us come to this Holy Mystery with Holy Hearts. There's no receiving a crucified Christ but into a consecrated Heart. Christ in his Conception lay in a pure Virgins Womb, and at his Death his Body was wrapped in clean Linnen, and put in a new Virgin-Tomb never yet defiled with Rottenness. If Christ would not lie in an unclean Grave, sure he will not be received into an unclean Heart. Isa. 52.11. Be ye clean that bear the Vessels of the Lord. If they who did carry the Vessels of the Lord were to be holy, then they who are to be the Vessels of the Lord, and are to hold Christ's Body and Blood, ought to be holy.

Use III. Consolation. Christ's Body and Blood in the Sacrament is a most Sovereign Elixir, or Comfort to a distressed Soul. Christ having poured out his Blood, now God's Justice is fully satisfied. There is in the Death of Christ enough to answer all Doubts. What if Sin is the Poison, here is the Flesh of Christ an Antidote against it? What if Sin be red as Scarlet, is not Christ's Blood of a deeper Colour, and can wash away Sin? If Satan strikes us with his Darts of Temptation, here is a precious Balm comes out of Christ's Wounds to heal us, Isa. 53.5. What, though we feed upon the Bread of Affliction, as long as in the Sacrament we feed upon the Bread of Life? So that Christ received aright Sacramentally, is an universal Medicine for the healing, and an universal Cordial for the cheering of our distressed Souls.

III. The Benefits of our Redemption are applied to us by Prayer.

I shall not expatiate upon Prayer at large, being to speak more fully to it in the Lord's Prayer. But to the words,

I give myself to Prayer. It is one thing to Pray, and another thing to be given to Prayer. He who prays frequently is said to be given to Prayer; as he who often distributes Alms, is said to be given to Charity. Prayer is a glorious Ordinance, it is the Souls trading with Heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by Prayer.

Quest. 1. What Prayer is?

Answ. It is an offering up of our desires to God, for things agreeable to his Will, in the Name of Christ.

1. Prayer is an offering up of our Desires]: Therefore it is called a making known of our Requests, Phil. 4.6. In Prayer we come as humble Petitioners, begging to have our Suit granted.

2. 'It is offering up our Desires to God.] Prayer is not to be made to any but God. The Papists pray to Saints and Angels, but they know not our grievances. Isa. 63.16. Abraham is ignorant of us. And all Angel-worship is forbidden; Col. 2.18, 19. We must not pray to any but whom we may believe in; Rom. 10.14. How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? But we cannot believe in an Angel, therefore we must not pray to him.

Quest. Why must Prayer be made only to God?

Resp 1. Because he only hears Prayer. Psal. 65.2. O thou that hearest Prayer. Hereby God is known to be the true God, in that he hears Prayer. 1 Kin. 18.37. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that the people may know that thou art the Lord God.

2. Because God only can help We may look to second Causes, and cry as the Woman did, 2 Kings 6.26. Help my lord, O king. And he said, if the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? If we are in outward distress God must send from Heaven and save; if we are in inward agonies, he only can pour in the Oil of Joy, therefore Prayer is to be made to him only.

3. For things agreeable to his Will. When we pray for outward things, for Riches or Children, perhaps God sees these things are not good for us; our Prayers must comport with God's Will. We may pray absolutely for Grace; For this is the will of God, our Sanctification. 1 Thess. 4.3. There might be no strange incense offered. Exod. 30 9. When we pray for things which are not agreeable to God's Will, it is offering strange Incense.

4. In the Name of Christ. To pray in the Name of Christ is not only to mention Christ's Name in Prayer, but to pray in the hope and confidence of Christ's Merit. 1 Sam. 7.9. Samuel took a sucking Lamb and offered it, &c. We must carry the Lamb Christ in the arms of our Faith, and so we prevail in Prayer. When Uzziah would offer Incense without a Priest, God was angry and struck him with Leprosy. 2 Chron. 26.16. When we do not pray in Christ's Name, in the hope of his Mediation, we offer up Incense without a Priest, and what can we expect but to meet with rebukes, and to have God answer us by terrible things.

Quest. 2. What are the parts of Prayer?

Answ. 1. There is the Confessory part, which is the acknowledging of Sin. 2. The Supplicatory part, when we either deprecate and pray against some evil, or request the obtaining of some good. 3. The Gratulatory part, when we give thanks for Mercies received, which is the most excellent part of Prayer. In Petition we act like Men, in giving of Thanks we act like Angels.

Quest. 3. What are the several sorts of Prayer?

Resp. 1. There is Mental Prayer, in the Mind, 1 Sam. 1.13. 2. Vocal, Psalm 77.1. 3. Ejaculatory, which is a sudden and short elevation of the heart to God. Neh. 2.4. So I prayed to the God of Heaven. 4. Conceiv'd Prayer; when we pray for those things which God puts into our heart. Rom. 8.26. The Spirit helps us with sighs and groans. Both the expressions of the tongue so far as they are right, and the impressions of the heart are from the Spirit. 5. Prescribed Prayer: Our Savior hath set us a pattern of Prayer. God prescribed a set Form of Blessing for the Priests▪ Numb. 6.23. 6. Public Prayer; when we pray in the audience of others. Prayer is more powerful when many join and unite their forces. Vis uni • a fortior: Matth. 18.19. 7. Private Prayer; when we pray by ourselves. Mat. 6.6. Enter into thy closet.

Quest. 4. What is that Prayer which is most like to prevail with God?

Resp. When Prayer is rightly qualified. That is a good Medicine which hath the right ingredients. That Prayer is good, and is most like to prevail with God, which hath these seven ingredients in it:

1. Prayer must be mixed with Faith; I am. 1.6. But let him pray in faith. Believe God hears and will in his due time grant: Believe God's Love and Truth. Believe that he is Love, therefore will not deny you; believe that he is Truth, therefore will not deny himself: Faith sets God a work. Faith is to Prayer as the Feather is to the Arrow. Faith feathers the arrow of Prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the Throne of Grace. Prayer that is faithless is fruitless.

2. A melting Prayer; Psal. 51.17. The sacrifices of God are a broken heart: The incense was to be beaten, to typify the breaking of the heart in prayer. O saith a Christian, I cannot pray with such gifts and elocution as others; as Moses said, I am not eloquent : But canst thou weep? Doth thy Heart melt in Prayer? Weeping prayer prevails. Tears drop as pearls from the eye. Jacob wept and made supplication, and had power over the Angel. Hos. 12.4.

3. Prayer must be fired with zeal and fervency: I am. 5.16. Effectual fervent Prayer prevails much. Cold Prayers like cold Suitors never speed. Prayer without fervency, is like a Sacrifice without Fire. Prayer is called a pouring out of the Soul, 1 Sam. 1.15. to signify vehemency. Formality starves prayer. Prayer is compared to Incense; Psal. 141.2. Let my prayer be set forth as incense. Hot Coals were to be put to the Incense to make it odoriferous and fragrant; fervency of Affection is like Coals put to the Incense, it makes prayer ascend as a sweet perfume. Christ prayed with strong cries; Heb. 5.7. Clamor iste penetrat nubes. Luther. Fervent prayer, like a petard set against Heaven gates, makes them fly open. To cause holy fervor and ardency of Soul in prayer, consider; 1. Prayer without fervency is no prayer; it is speaking not praying. Lifeless prayer is no more prayer, than the picture of a Man is a Man. One may say as Pharaoh, Gen. 41. I have dreamed a dream: It is dreaming not praying. Affectus operi nomen imponit. Ambr. Life and fervency baptizeth a Duty, and gives it a name. 2. Consider in what need we stand of those things which we ask in prayer. We come to ask the favor of God, and if we have not his love all we enjoy is cursed to us. We pray that our Souls may be washed in Christ's Blood, and if he wash us not we have no part in him, John 13.8. When will we be earnest if not when we are praying for the life of our Souls. 3. It is only fervent prayer hath the promise of Mercy affixed to it; Ier. 29.14. Then shall ye find me when ye search for me with all your heart. 'It is dead praying without a promise; and the promise is made only to ardency. The Aediles among the Romans had their doors always standing open, that all who had petitions might have free access to them. God's heart is ever open to fervent prayer.

4. Prayer must be sincere. Sincerity is the Silver-thread, which must run through the whole Duties of Religion. Sincerity in prayer is when we have gracious holy ends in prayer. Our prayer is not so much for Temporal Mercies as Spiritual. We send out our prayer as a Merchant sends out his Ship, that we may have large returns of Spiritual Blessings: Our aim in prayer is, that our Heart may be more holy, that we may have more Communion with God. Our design is that by prayer we may increase the stock of Grace. Prayer which wants a good aim, wants a good issue.

5. Prayer that will prevail with God must have fixation of mind: Psal. 57.7. O God my heart is fixed. Since the fall the mind is like Quick-silver which will not fix; it hath principium motus but non quietis : The thoughts will be roving and dancing up and down in prayer: Just as if a Man that is travelling to such a place should turn out of the road, and wander he knows not whither. In prayer we are travelling to the Throne of Grace, but how often do we by vain cogitations turn out of the road, which is rather wandering than praying.

Quest. But how shall we cure these vain impertinent thoughts, which do so distract us in Prayer, and we may fear hinder the acceptance.

Answ. 1. Be very apprehensive in Prayer of the infiniteness of God's Majesty and Purity. God's eye is upon us in Prayer, and we may say as David, Psal. 56.8. Thou tellest my wanderings : The thoughts of this would make us hoc agere, mind the Duty we are about. If a Man were to deliver a petition to an Earthly Prince, would he at that time be playing with a feather? Set yourselves when you pray as in God's presence: Could you but look through the key-hole of Heaven, and see how devout and intent the Angels are in their worshipping God, sure you would be ready to blush at your vain thoughts and wild impertinencies in Prayer.

2. If you would keep your Mind fixed in prayer, keep your Eye fixed; Psalm 123.1. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the Heavens. Much vanity comes in at the eye. When the eye wanders in prayer the heart wanders. To think to keep the heart fixed in Prayer, and yet let the eye gaze, is as if one should think to keep his house safe, yet let the windows be open.

3. If you would have your thoughts fixed in Prayer, get more love to God. Love 〈◊〉 a great fixer of the thoughts. He who is in love cannot keep his thoughts off the Object. He who loves the World his thoughts run undisturbedly upon the World. Did we love God more our minds would be more intent upon him in Prayer. Were there more delight in Duty there would be less distraction.

4. Implore the help of God's Spirit to fix our minds, and make them intent and serious in Prayer. The Ship without a Pilot rather floats than sails: that our thoughts do not float up and down in Prayer we need the Blessed Spirit to be our pilot to steer us; only God's Spirit can bound the thoughts. A shaking Hand may as well write a line steadily, as we can keep our Hearts fixed in Prayer without the Spirit of God.

5. Make holy thoughts familiar to you in your ordinary course of Life. David was oft musing on God; Psal. 139.18. When I awake I am still with thee. He who gives himself liberty to have vain thoughts out of Prayer, will scarce have other thoughts in Prayer.

6 If you would keep your Mind fixed on God, watch your Hearts; not only watch them after prayer, but in prayer. The Heart will be apt to give you the slip, and have a thousand vagaries in prayer. We read of Angels ascending and descending on Jacob's Ladder: So in Prayer, you shall find your Hearts ascending to Heaven, and in a moment descending upon Earthly Objects: O Christians, watch your Hearts in prayer. What a shame is it to think, that when we are speaking to God in prayer, our Hearts should be in the Fields, or in our Compting house, or one way or other running upon the Devils errand.

7. Labor for more degrees of Grace. The more Ballast the Ship hath the better it sails; so the more the Heart is ballasted with Grace, the steadier it will sail to Heaven in Prayer.

6. Prayer that is likely to prevail with God must be Argumentative: God loves to have us plead with him and use Arguments in Prayer; see how many Arguments Jacob used in Prayer; Gen. 32.11. Deliver me I pray thee from the hand of my Brother. The Arguments he useth are, 1. From God's Command, ver. 9. Thou saidst to me; return to thy Country: As if he had said, I did not take this Journey of my own head, but by thy direction, therefore thou canst not but in honor protect me: And he useth another Argument; ver. 12. Thou saidst I will surely do thee good. Lord, wilt thou go back from thy own promise? Thus he was Argumentative in Prayer, and he got not only a new Blessing, but a new Name; ver. 28. Thy name shall no more be called Jacob but Israel; for as a Prince hast thou had power with God and prevailed. God loves to be overcome with strength of Argument. Thus when we come to God in prayer for Grace be Argumentative; Lord, thou callest thyself the God of all grace, and whither should we go with our Vessel but to the Fountain: Lord, thy grace may be imparted yet not impaired: Hath not Christ purchased grace for poor indigent Creatures? Every dram of Grace cost a drop of Blood. Shall Christ die to purchase Grace for us, and shall not we have the Fruit of his purchase? Lord it is thy delight to milk out the Breast of Mercy and Grace, and wilt thou abridge thyself of thy own delight? Thou hast promised to give thy Spirit to implant grace. Can truth lie? can faithfulness deceive? God loves thus to be overcome with Arguments in prayer.

7. Prayer that would prevail with God must be joined with reformation: Job 11.13. If thou stretch out thy hands towards him; if iniquity be in thy hand, put it far away from thee. Sin lived in makes the heart hard and God's ear deaf. 'It is foolish to pray against Sin, and then Sin against prayer. Sin fly-blows our prayer; Psal. 66.18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. The Load-stone loseth its virtue when bespread with garlic; so doth prayer when polluted with sin. The Incense of Prayer must be offered upon the Altar of an holy Heart.

Thus you see what is that Prayer which is most likely to prevail with God.

VSE I. It reproves, 1. Such as pray not at all; 'tis made the note of a reprobate, he calls not upon God, Psalm 144. Doth he think to have an Alms who never asks it? Do they think to have Mercy from God who never seek it? Then God should be friend them more than he did his own Son. Heb. 5.7. Christ offered up prayers with strong cries. None of God's Children are born dumb; Galat. 4.6. 2. It reproves such as have left off prayer, a sign they never felt the fruit and comfort of it: He that leaves off Prayer, a sign he leaves off to fear God; Job 15.4. Thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. A Man that hath left of prayer is fit for any wickedness. When Saul had given over enquiring after God, then he went to the Witch of Endor.

VSE II. Of Exhortation : Be persons given to prayer, I give myself (saith David ) to prayer. Pray for pardon and purity; Prayer is the golden Key that opens Heaven. The Tree of the Promise will not drop its Fruit unless shaked by the hand of prayer. All the benefits of Christ's Redemption are handed over to us by prayer.

Object. But I have prayed a long time for Mercy, and have no answer? Psal. 69.3. I am weary of crying?

Answ. 1. God may hear us when we do not hear from him; as soon as Prayer is made God hears it, though he doth not presently answer. A Friend may receive our Letter, though he doth not presently send us an answer of it. 2. God may delay prayer, and yet not deny.

Quest. But why doth God delay an answer of Prayer?

Resp. 1. Because he loves to hear the voice of Prayer; Prov. 15.8. The prayer of the upright is his delight. You let the Musician play a great while ere you throw him down Money, because you love to hear his Music. Cant. 2.14. 2. God may delay Prayer, when he will not deny, that he may humble us: perhaps God hath spoke to us a long time in his Word to leave such Sins, but we would not hear him, therefore he lets us speak to him in Prayer, and seems not to hear us. 3. God may delay Prayer when he will not deny, because he sees we are not yet fit for the Mercy: perhaps we pray for deliverance, we are not fit for it; our scum is not boiled away: We would have God swift to deliver, and we are slow to repent. 4. God may delay prayer, when he will not deny, that the Mercy we pray for may be the more prized, and may be sweeter when it comes: The longer the Merchants Ships stay abroad, the more he rejoiceth when they come home laden with Spices and Jewels; therefore be not discouraged, but follow God with prayer; though God may delay, he will not deny. Prayer vincit invincibilem, it overcomes the Omnipotent: Hos. 12.4. The Tymans tied fast their God Hercules with a golden Chain that he should not remove: The Lord was held by Moses prayer as with a golden Chain, Exod. 32.10. Let me alone : Why what did Moses, he only prayed. Prayer ushers in Mercy. Be thy case never so sad, if thou canst but pray thou needest not fear, Psal. 10.17. therefore give thyself to prayer.

In this Scripture are two things observable.

• I. The Introduction to the Prayer.
• II. The Prayer itself, which consists of three parts.
  • 1. A Preface.
  • 2. Petitions
  • 3. The Conclusion.

I. The Introduction to the Lord's Prayer, sic orate vos, After this manner pray ye. ] Our Lord Jesus in these words prescribed to his Disciples and us a directory for prayer. The Ten Commandments are the rule of our Life, the Creed is the sum of our Faith, and the Lord's Prayer is the pattern of our Prayer: As God did prescribe Moses a pattern of the Tabernacle, Exod. 25.9. so Christ hath here prescribed us a pattern of Prayer. After this manner pray ye, &c. The meaning is, let this be the Rule and Model according to which ye frame your prayers; Ad hanc regulam preces nostras exigere necesse est. Not that we are tied to the words of the Lord's-prayer: Christ saith not after these words, pray ye, but after this manner ; that is, let all your petitions agree and symbolize with the things contained in the Lord's prayer; and indeed well may we make all our prayers consonant and agreeable to this prayer, it being a most exact prayer. Tertullian calls it breviarium totius Evangelii, a breviary and compendium of the Gospel: It is like an heap of massy gold. The exactness of this prayer appears, 1. In the Dignity of the Author: A piece of work hath commendation from the Artificer; and this prayer hath commendation from the Author; it is the Lord's Prayer. As the Law Moral was written with the Finger of God, so this prayer was dropped from the Lips of the Son of God. Non vox Hominem sonat, est Deus. 2. The exactness of this prayer appears in the excellency of the matter. I may say of this prayer, It is as silver tried in a furnace, purified seven times; Psal. 12.6. Never was there prayer so admirably and curiously composed as this. As Solomon's Song for its Excellency is called the Song of Songs ; so may this well be called the prayer of prayers. The matter of it is admirable; 1. For its Succinctness, 'tis short and pithy, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , multum in parvo, a great deal said in a few words. It requires more Art to draw the two Globes curiously in a little Map. This short Prayer is a System or Body of Divinity. 2. Its Clearness. This prayer is plain and intelligible to every capacity: Clearness is the grace of Speech. 3. Its Compleatness. This prayer contains in it the chief things that we have to ask, or God hath to bestow.

VSE. Let us have a great esteem of the Lord's prayer; let it be the model and pattern of all our prayers: There is a double benefit ariseth from framing our petitions suitable to the Lord's prayer. 1. Hereby Error in prayer is prevented: 'It is not easy to write wrong Copy; we cannot easily err having our pattern before us. 2. Hereby Mercies requested are obtained; for the Apostle assures us God will hear us when we pray according to his Will, 1 John 5.14. and sure we pray according to his Will, when we pray according to his pattern he hath set us. So much for the Introduction to the Lord's prayer, After this manner pray ye.

II. The Prayer itself, which consists of three parts.

• 1. A Preface.
• 2. Petitions.
• 3. The Conclusion.

1. The Preface to the prayer: 1. Our Father, 2. Which art in Heaven. To begin with the first words of the Preface.

(1.) Our Father. ] Father is sometimes taken personally; John 14.28. My Father is greater than I : But Father in the Text is taken essentially for the whole Deity. This Title, Father, teacheth us to whom we must address ourselves in prayer, to God alone. Here is no such thing in the Lord's prayer, as, O ye Saints or Angels that are in Heaven hear us, but our Father which art in Heaven.

Quest. In what order must we direct our Prayers to God? Here is only the Father named, may not we direct our Prayers to the Son and Holy Ghost?

Answ. Though the Father only be named in the Lord's prayer, yet the other two persons are not hereby excluded: The Father is mentioned because he is first in order, but the Son and Holy Ghost are included, because they are the same in Essence: As all the three persons subsist in one Godhead, so in our prayers, though we name but one •• rson, we must pray to all. To come then more closely to the first words of the Preface, [ Our Father ]. Princes on Earth give themselves Titles expressing their Greatness, as High and Mighty : God might have done so, and expressed himself thus, Our King of Glory, Our Judge, but he gives himself another Title, Our Father, an expression of Love and Condescension. God that he might encourage us to pray to him, represents himself under this sweet notion of a Father, Our Father. Dulce nomen Patris: The Name Jehovah carries Majesty in it; the Name Father carries Mercy in it.

Quest. 1. In what sense is God a Father?

Resp. 1. By Creation; it is he that hath made us; Acts 17.28. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , we are his Off-spring, Mal. 2.10. Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God Created us? But there is little comfort in this; for so God is Father to the Devils by Creation, but he that made them will not save them.

2. God is a Father by Election, having chosen a certain number to be his Children, whom he will entail Heaven upon; Eph. 1.4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , He hath chosen us in him.

3. God is a Father by special Grace; he consecrates the elect by his Spirit, and infuseth a supernatural principle of Holiness, therefore they are said to be born of God, 1 John 3.9. Such only as are sanctified can say, Our Father which art in Heaven.

Quest. 2. What is the difference between God being the Father of Christ, and the Father of the Elect?

Resp. God is the Father of Christ in a more glorious transcendent manner. Christ hath the primo-geniture; he is the eldest Son, a Son by eternal generation: Prov. 8.23. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. Isa. 53.8. Who shall declare his generation? Christ is a Son to the Father, yet so, as he is of the same Nature with the Father, having all the incommunicable properties of the Godhead belonging to him: But we are Sons of God by Adoption and Grace; Gal. 4.5. That we might receive the adoption of Sons.

Quest. 3. What is that which makes God our Father?

Resp. Faith: Gal. 3.26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. An Unbeliever may call God his Creator, and his Judge, but not his Father. Faith doth legitimate us, and make us of the Blood-Royal of Heaven: Ye are the children of God by faith. Baptism makes us Church-Members, but Faith makes us Children. Without Faith the Devil can show as good a Coat of Arms as we.

Quest. 4. How doth Faith make God to be our Father?

Resp. As Faith is an uniting Grace; by Faith we have Coalition and Union with Christ, and so the Kindred comes in; being united to Christ the Natural Son, we become Adopted Sons: God is the Father of Christ; Faith makes us Christ's Brethren, Heb. 2.11. and so God comes to be our Father.

Quest. 5. Wherein doth it appear that God is the best Father?

Resp. 1. In that he is most Antient; Dan. 7.9. The ancient of days did sit: A figurative representation of God who was before all time. This may cause Veneration.

2. God is the best Father, because he is perfect; Matth. 5.48. Your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. He is perfectly good: Earthly Fathers are subject to infirmities: Elias (though a Prophet) was a man of like passions. I am. 5.17. but God is perfectly good: All the perfection we can arrive at in this Life is sincerity; we may a little resemble God, but not equal him: He is infinitely perfect.

3. God is the best Father in respect of Wisdom; 1 Tim. 1.17. The only wise God. He hath a perfect Idea of Wisdom in himself: He knows the fittest Mediums to bring about his own designs; the Angels light at his Lamp. In particular, this is one branch of his Wisdom, that he knows what is best for us: An Earthly Parent knows not in some intricate cases how to advise his Child, or what may be best for him to do; but God is a most wise Father; he knows what is best for us; he knows when Comfort is best for us; he keeps his Cordials for fainting; 2 Cor. 7.6. God who comforteth them that are cast down : He knows when affliction is best for us, and when it is fit to give a bitter potion: 1 Pet. 1.6. If need be, ye are in heaviness. He is the only wise God; he knows how to make evil things work for good to his Children, Rom. 8:28. he can make a sovereign treacle of poison: Thus he is the best Father for Wisdom.

4. He is the best Father because most loving; 1 John 4.16. God is love. He who causeth bowels of affection in others, must needs have more bowels himself; quod efficit tale: The Affections in Parents are but Marble and Adamant in comparison of God's Love to his Children, he gives them the cream of his Love, electing Love, saving Love; Zeph. 3.17. He will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing : No Father like God for Love; if thou art his Child, thou canst not love thy own Soul, so entirely as he loves thee.

5. God is the best Father for Riches; God hath land enough to give to all his Children, he hath unsearchable riches, Eph. 3.8. He gives the hidden Manna, the Tree of Life, Rivers of Joy, Gates of Pearl: Who ever saw gates of Pearl? God hath treasures that cannot be emptied, pleasures that cannot be ended. Earthly Fathers if they should be ever giving, they would have nothing left to give: God is ever giving to his Children, yet hath not the less; his Riches are imparted, not impaired. Like the Sun that still shines, yet hath not the less light. He cannot be poor who is infinite. Thus God is the best Father, he gives more to his Children than any Father, or Prince can bestow.

6. God is the best Father, because he can reform his Children. A Father when his Son takes bad courses, knows not how to make him better, but God knows how to make the Children of the Election better; he can change their Hearts. When Paul was breathing out persecution against the Saints, God soon altered his course and set him a praying; Acts 9.11. Behold he prayeth. None of those who belong to the Election are so rough cast and unhewen but God can polish them with his Grace, and make them fit for the Inheritance.

7. God is the best Father because he never dies, 1 Tim. 6 16. Who only hath immortality. Earthly Fathers die, and their Children are exposed to many injuries, but God lives forever; Rev. 1.8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the last. God's Crown hath no Successors.

Quest. 6. Wherein lies the Dignity of such as have God for their Father?

Resp. They have greater Honor then is conferred on the Princes of the Earth; They are precious in God's esteem; Isa. 43.4. Since thou wast precious in my eyes, thou hast been honorable ; the wicked are dross, Psal. 119.119. and chaff, Psal. 1.4. but God numbers his Children among his Jewels, Mal. 3.17. he writes all his Children's names in the Book of Life, Phil. 4.3. Whose names are in the book of life. Among the Romans the Names of their Senators were written down in a Book, Patres conscripti ; God enrolls the names of his Children, and will not blot their names out of the Register: Rev. 3.5. I will not blot his name out of the book of life. God will not be ashamed of his Children; Heb. 11.16. God is not ashamed to be called your God. One might think it were something below God, and he might disdain to Father such Children as are Dust and Sin mingled, but he is not ashamed to be called our God; and that we may see he is not ashamed of his Children, he writes his own Name upon them; Rev. 3.12. I will write upon him the name of my God ; that is, I will openly acknowledge him before all the Angels to be my Child. I will write my Name upon him, as the Son bears his Fathers name: What an honor and dignity is this.

2. God confers honorable Titles upon his Children: 1. He calls them the excellent of the earth, Psal. 16.2. or the magnificent, as Junius renders it. They must needs be excellent who are e Regio Sanguine nati, of the Blood-Royal of Heaven; they are the Spiritual Phenixes of the World, the glory of the Creation. God calls his Children his glory; Isa. 46.13. Israel my glory. God honors his Children with the Title of Kings, Rev. 1.6. And hath made us Kings. All God's Children are Kings: though they have not Earthly Kingdoms, yet, 1. They carry a Kingdom about them, Luke 17.21. The kingdom of God is within you : Grace is a Kingdom set up in the hearts of God's Children. They are Kings to rule over their Sins: to bind those kings in chains. Psal. 149.8. 2. They are like Kings, they have their insignia Regalia, their ensigns of Royalty and Majesty. 1. They have their Crown: In this Life they are Kings in a disguise: They are not known, therefore they are exposed to poverty and reproach; they are Kings in a disguise: 1 John 3.2. Now we are the Sons of God, and it doth not appear what we shall be. Why what shall we be? Every Son of God shall have his Crown of Glory, 1 Pet. 5.4. and white Robes, Rev. 6.11. Robes signify Dignity, and white, signifies Sanctity.

3. This is their honor who have God for their Father, they are all Heirs; the youngest Son is an Heir. 1. God's Children are heirs to the things of this Life: God being their Father they have the best title to earthly things, they have a sanctified right to them, though they have often the least share, yet they have the best right, and they have a Blessing with what they have; i. e. God's Love and Favor. Others may have more of the Venison, but God's Children have more of the Blessing: Thus they are Heirs to the things of this Life. 2 They are Heirs to the other World: Heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1.14. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Ioint-heirs with Christ; Rom. 8.17. They go sharers with Christ in glory. Among Men commonly the eldest Son carries away all, but God's Children are all Joint-heirs with Christ, they have a copartnership with him in his Riches. Hath Christ a place in the Celestial Mansions, so have the Saints; John 14.2. In my Fathers house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you▪ Hath he his Fathers Love, so have they; Psal. 146.8. John 17.26. That the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them. Doth Christ sit upon a Throne, so do God's Children; Rev. 3.21. What an high honor is this?

4. God makes his Children equal in honor to the Angels, Luke 20.36. They are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 equal to the Angels: nay, those Saints who have God for their Father, are in some sense superior to the Angels; for Jesus Christ having taken our Nature, Naturam nostram nobilitavit, hath ennobled and honored it above the Angelical. Heb. 2.16. God hath made his Children by Adoption, nearer to himself than the Angels. The Angels are the Friends of Christ, Believers are the Members of Christ, and this honor have all the Saints. Thus you see the Dignity of such as have God for their Father. What a comfort is this to God's Children, who are here despised and loaded with calumnies and invectives, 1 Cor. 4.14. We are made as the filth of the world, &c. But God will put Honor upon his Children at the last day, and crown them with Immortal Bliss, to the envy of their Adversaries.

Quest. 7. How we may know that God is our Father? All cannot say Our Father: The Jews boasted that God was their Father ; John 8.36. We have one Father, even God. Christ tells them their pedigree, ver. 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil. They who are of Satanical Spirits, and make use of their power to beat down the power of Godliness, cannot say God is their Father, they may say, Our Father which art in Hell. Well then, how may we know that God is our Father?

Resp. 1. By having a Filial disposition. This is in four things▪ 1. To melt in tears for Sin: A Child weeps for offending his Father. When Christ looked on Peter, and he remembered his Sin in denying Christ, he fell a weeping. Clemens Alexandrinus reports of Peter, he never heard a Cock crow but he wept. This is a sign God is our Father: When the heart of stone is taken away, and there is a gracious thaw in the heart, it melts in tears for Sin; and he who hath a Child-like heart mourns for Sin in a Spiritual manner, as it is Sin: He grieves for it, 1. As it is an Act of Pollution. Sin deflours the Virgin-Soul; it defaceth God's Image; it turns beauty into deformity; 'tis called the plague of the heart, 1 Kings 8.38. It is the spirits of evil distilled. A Child of God mourns for the defilement of Sin; Sin hath a blacker aspect than Hell. 2. He who hath a Child-like heart grieves for Sin, as 'tis an Act of Enmity. Sin is diametrically opposite to God: It is called a walking contrary to God; Lev. 26.40. If they shall confess their iniquity, and that they have walked contrary to me. Sin doth all it can to spite God: If God be of one mind, Sin will be of another. Sin would not only unthrone God, but it strikes at his very Being; if Sin could help it God should be no longer God. A Child-like heart grieves for this, O saith he, that I should have so much enmity in me, that my Will should be no more subdued to the Will of my Heavenly Father, this springs a leak of godly sorrow. 3. A Child-like heart weeps for Sin as it is an Act of Ingratitude. Sin is an abuse of God's Love; it is a taking the Jewels of God's Mercies and making use of them to sin. God hath done more for his Children than others; he hath planted his grace, and given them some intimations of his favor, and to sin against kindness, dies a sin in grain, and makes it Crimson: Like Absalom, as soon as his Father kissed him and took him into favor, plotted Treason against him. Nothing so melts a Child-like heart in tears, as sins of unkindness; O that I should sin against the Blood of a Savior, and the Bowels of a Father: I condemn ingratitude in my Child, yet I am guilty of ingratitude against my Heavenly Father: This opens a vein of godly sorrow, and makes the heart bleed afresh; certainly this evidenceth God to be our Father, when he hath given us this Child-like frame of heart, to weep for sin as it is sin, an act of Pollution, Enmity, Ingratitude. A wicked Man may mourn for the bitter Fruit of Sin, but only a Child of God can grieve for the odious Nature of Sin. 2. A Filial (or Child-like) disposition is to be full of sympathy▪ We lay to heart the dishonors reflected upon our Heavenly Father, when we see God's Worship adulterated, his Truth mingled with the poison of Error, it is as a Sword in our Bones to see God's Glory suffer; Psal. 119.158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved. Homer describing Agamemnons grief when he was forced to sacrifice his Daughter Iphigenia, brings in all his Friends weeping and condoling with him; so when God is dishonored, we sympathize, and are as it were clad in mourning. A Child that hath any good Nature, is cut to the heart to hear his Father reproached. An Heir of Heaven takes a dishonor done to God more heinous than a disgrace done to himself. 3. A Filial disposition is to love our Heavenly Father: He is unnatural that doth not love his Father. God who is crowned with excellency, is the proper object of delight, and every true Child of God saith as Peter, Lord thou knowest that I love thee : But who will not say he loves God? If ours be a true genuine love to our Heavenly Father, it may be known, 1. By the effects. 1. Then we have an holy fear: There is a fear which ariseth from love to God; that is, we fear the loss of the visible tokens of God's presence; 1 Sam. 4.13. Eli's heart trembled for the Ark. It is not said his heart trembled for his two Sons, Hophni and Phinchas, but his heart trembled for the Ark; because the Ark was the special sign of God's Presence, and if that were taken the Glory was departed. He who loves his Heavenly Father, fears least the tokens of his Presence should be removed, least Profaneness should break in like a flood, least Popery should get head, and God should go from a people. The presence of God in his Ordinances is the glory and strength of a Nation. The Trojans had the Image of Pallas, and they had an opinion, that as long as that Image was preserved among them, they should never be conquered. So long as God's presence is with a people so long they are safe. Every true Child of God fears least God should go, and the glory depart. Try by this whether we have a Filial disposition: Do we love God, and doth this love cause fear and jealousy? Are we afraid least we should lose God's presence? Least the Sun of Righteousness remove out of our Horizon. Many are afraid least they should lose some of their Worldly profits, but not least they lose the presence of God. If they may have Peace and Trading they care not what becomes of the Ark of God. A true Child of God fears nothing so much as the loss of his Fathers presence: Hos. 9.12. Woe to them when I depart from them. 2. Love to our Heavenly Father is seen by loving his Day; Isa. 58.13. If thou call the Sabbath a delight. The Ancients called this Regina Dierum, the Queen of Days. If we love our Father in Heaven we spend this day in Devotion, in Reading, Hearing, Meditating: On this day Manna falls double. God sanctified the Sabbath: He made all the other days in the Week, but he hath sanctified this day; this day he hath crowned with a Blessing. 3. Love to our Heavenly Father is seen by loving his Children; 1 John 5.1. Everyone that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. If we love God, the more we see of God in any, the more we love them; we love them though they are poor: A Child loves to see his Fathers picture, though hung in a mean frame; we love the Children of our Father though they are persecuted; 2 Tim. 1.16. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of my chain. Constantine did kiss the hole of Paphnusius 's eye, because he suffered the loss of his eye for Christ. It appears they have no love to God, who have no love to his Children; they care not for their company; they have a secret disgust and antipathy against them. Hipocrites pretend great reverence to the Saints departed, they canonize dead Saints, but persecute living: I may say of these as the Apostle, Heb. 12.8. They are bastards, not sons. 4. Effect of love, if we love our Heavenly Father, then we will be Advocates for him, and stand up in the defense of his Truth. He who loves his Father will plead for him when he is traduced and wronged. He hath no Child-like heart, no love to God, who can hear God's name dishonored, and be silent. Doth Christ appear for us in Heaven, and are we afraid to appear for him on Earth? Such as dare not own God and Religion in times of danger, God will be ashamed to be called their God; it would be a reproach to him to have such Children as will not own him. 2. A Child-like love to God is known, as by the Effects, so by the Degree; it is a superior love. We love our Father in Heaven above all other things; above Estate or Relations, as Oil runs above the Water. Psal. 73.25. A Child of God seeing a super eminency of Goodness, and a constellation of all Beauties in God, he is carried out in love to him in the highest measure: As God gives his Children such a love as he doth not bestow upon the wicked, electing love; so God's Children give God such a love as they bestow upon none else, adoring love; they give him the flower and spirits of their love; they love him with a love joined with worship; this spiced Wine they keep only for their Father to drink of: Cant. 8.2. 4. A Child-like disposition is seen in honoring our Heavenly Father. Mal. 1.6. A Son honoreth his Father.

Quest. How 〈◊〉 show our honor to our Father in Heaven?

Resp. 1. By having a reverential awe of God upon us; Lev. 25.17. Thou shalt fear thy God: This reverential fear of God is when we dare do nothing that he hath forbidden in his Word; Gen. 39.9. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? It is the part of the honor a Son gives to his Father, he fears to displease him. 2. We show our honor to our Heavenly Father by doing all we can to exalt God, and make his Excellencies shine forth; though we cannot lift up God higher in Heaven, yet we may lift him higher in our hearts, and in the esteem of others. When we speak well of God, set forth his renown, display the trophies of his goodness, when we ascribe the glory of all we do to God, when we are the trumpeters of God's praise; this is an honoring our Father in Heaven, and a certain sign of a Child-like heart: Psal. 50.23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me.

2. We may know God is our Father by our resembling of him: The Child is his Fathers Picture, Judge. 8.18. Each one resembled the children of a King : Every Child of God resembles the King of Heaven; herein God's adopting Children and Mans differ. A Man adopts one for his Son and Heir that doth not at all resemble him, but whosoever God adopts for his Child is like him; he not only bears his Heavenly Fathers Name, but Image, Col. 3.10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 —after the image of him that created him. He who hath God for his Father, resembles God in Holiness: Holiness is the glory of the Godhead, Exod. 15.11. The Holiness of God is the intrinsic Purity of his Essence. He who hath God for his Father, partakes of the Divine Nature; though not of the Divine Essence, yet of the Divine Likeness: As the Seal sets its print and likeness upon the Wax, so he who hath God for his Father, hath the print and effigies of his Holiness stamped upon him, Psal. 106.16. Aaron the Saint of the Lord. Wicked Men desire to be like God hereafter in glory, but do not affect to be like him here in grace; they give it out to the World that God is their Father, yet have nothing of God to be seen in them, they are unclean, they not only want his Image but hate it.

3. We may know God is our Father by having his Spirit in us. 1. By having the intercession of the Spirit: 'It is a Spirit of Prayer: Gal. 4.6. Because ye are Sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Prayer is the Souls breathing itself into the bosom of its Heavenly Father. None of God's Children are born dumb; implet Spiritus sanctus organum suum, & tanquam Pila chordarum tangit Spiritus Dei corda sanctorum. Prosper. Acts 9.11. Behold he prayeth: But it is not every Prayer evidenceth God's Spirit in us. Such as have no grace may excel in gifts, and affect the hearts of others in Prayer, when their own hearts are not affected: As the Lute makes a sweet sound in the ears of others, but itself is not sensible; how therefore shall we know our Prayers are indicted by God's Spirit, and so he is our Father?

Resp. 1. When they are not only Vocal but Mental; when there are not only gifts but groans; Rom. 8.26. The best Music is in consort; the best Prayer is when the heart and tongue join together in consort.

2. When they are zealous and fervent: I am. 5.16. The effectual fervent Prayer of a righteous man availeth much. The eyes melt in Prayer, the heart burns: Fervency is to Prayer, as Fire to the Incense; it makes it ascend to Heaven as a sweet perfume.

3. When Prayer hath Faith sprinkled in it: Prayer is the Key of Heaven, and Faith is the hand that turns it; Rom. 8.15. We cry, Abba, Father. We cry, there is fervency in Prayer: Abba, Father, there is Faith. Those Prayers suffer shipwreck which dash upon the rock of unbelief. Thus we may know God is our Father by having his Spirit praying in us: As Christ intercedes above, so the Spirit intercedes within. 2. By having the renewing of the Spirit, which is nothing else but Regeneration, which is called a being born of the Spirit, John 3.5. This regenerating work of the Spirit is a transformation, or change of Nature, Rom. 12.2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. He who is born of God hath a new heart: New, not for substance, but for qualities. The strings of a Viol may be the same, but the Tune is altered: Before this Regeneration, there are Spiritual Pangs, much heart-breaking for Sin. Regeneration is called a circumcising of the heart, Col. 2.11. In Circumcising there was pain in the flesh: so in this Spiritual Circumcision there is pain in the heart; there is much sorrow arising from the sense of guilt and wrath. The Jailors trembling, Acts 16.30. was a pang in the new birth. God's Spirit is a Spirit of Bondage before it be a Spirit of Adoption. This blessed work of Regeneration spreads over the whole Soul; it irradiates the Mind, it consecrates the Heart, and reforms the Life: Though Regeneration be but in part, it is in every part; 1 Thess. 5.23. Regeneration is the signature and engraving of the Holy Ghost upon the Soul. The new born Christian is bespangled with the Jewels of the 〈◊〉 which are the Angels glory: Regeneration is the spring of all true joy. At our first birth we come weeping into the World, but at our new birth there's cause of rejoicing; for now God is our Father, and we are begotten to a lively hope of glory; 1 Pet. 1.3. We may try by this our relation to God. Hath a regenerating work of God's Spirit passed upon our Souls? Are we made of another Spirit? Humble and Heavenly? This is a good sign of Son-ship, and we may say, Our Father which art in Heaven. 3. By having the conduct of the Spirit: We are led by the Spirit; Rom. 8.14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God. God's Spirit doth not only quicken us in our Regeneration, but leads us on till we come to the end of our Faith, Salvation. It is not enough the Child have Life, but he must be led every step by the Nurse. Hos. 11.3. I taught Ephraim to go, taking them by their arms. Their Arms, as the Israelites had the Cloud and Pillar of Fire to go before them, and be a guide to them; so God's Spirit is a guide to go before us, and lead us into all truth, and counsel us in all our doubts, and influence us in all our actions: Psalm 73.24. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsels. None can call God Father but such as have the conduct of his Spirit. Try then what Spirit you are led by? Such as are led by a Spirit of Envy, Lust, Avarice, these are not led by the Spirit of God; it were blasphemy for them to call God Father: These are led by the Spirit of Satan, and may say Our Father which art in Hell. 4. By having the Witness of the Spirit; Rom. 8.16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God. This Witness of the Spirit, suggesting that God is our Father, is not a Vocal Witness, or Voice from Heaven: The Spirit in the Word witnesseth : The Spirit in the Word saith, he who is so qualified, who is an hater of Sin, and a lover of Holiness, is a Child of God, and God is his Father; if I can find such qualifications wrought, here is the Spirit witnessing with my Spirit, that I am a Child of God. Besides, we may carry it higher, the Spirit of God witnesseth to our Spirit by making more than ordinary impressions upon our hearts, and giving some secret hints and whispers that God hath purposes of Love to us: Here is a concurrent witness of the Spirit with Conscience, that we are Heirs of Heaven, and God is our Father: This Witness is better felt than expressed, this Witness scatters doubts and fears, silenceth temptations; but what shall one do that hath not this Witness of the Spirit? If we w •• t the Witness of the Spirit, let us labor to find the Work of the Spirit; if we have not the Spirit testifying, labor to have it sanctifying, and that will be a support to us.

4. If God be our Father we are of Peaceable Spirits: Matth. 5.9 Blessed are the peace-makers, they shall be called the children of God. Grace infuseth a sweet amicable disposition; it files off the ruggedness of Men's Spirits; it turns the Lion-like fierceness into a Lamb-like gentleness; Isa. 11.7. They who have God to be their Father, follow Peace as well as Holiness. God the Father is called the God of Peace, Heb. 13.20. God the Son, the Prince of Peace, Isa. 9.6. God the Holy Ghost is a Spirit of Peace: It is called the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; Eph. 4.3. The more peaceable the more like God. It is a bad sign God is not their Father; 1. Who are fierce and cruel, as if with Romulus they had sucked the Milk of a Wolf, Rom. 3.17. The way of peace have they not known, they sport in mischief; these are they who are of a persecuting Spirit, as Maximinus, Dioclesian, Antiochus, who (as Eusebius ) took more tedious journeys, and run more hazards in vexing and persecuting the Jews, than any of his Predecessors had done in getting of Victories: These Furies cannot call God Father, if they do, they will have as little comfort in saying Father, as Dives had in Hell, when he said, Father Abraham, Luke 16.24. 2. Who are makers of division; Rom. 16.17. Mark them which cause divisions, and avoid them : Such as are born of God are makers of Peace, what shall we think of such as are makers of Division, will God Father these? The Devil made the first division in Heaven; they may call the Devil Father; they may give the Cloven Foot in their Coat of Arms; their sweetest Music is in Discord; they unite to divide. Samson's Fox-tails were tied together only to set the Philistines Corn on fire, Judge. 15 4. Papists unite only to set the Churches Peace on fire· Satan's Kingdom goes up by Divisions. St. Chrysostom observes of the Church of Corinth, when many Converts were brought in, Satan knew no better way to dam up the current of Religion, than to throw in an Apple of Strife, and divide them into Parties; one was for Paul, and another for Apollos, but few for Christ. Would not Christ have his Coat rent, and can he endure to have his Body rent? Sure God will never Father them who are not Sons of Peace: Of all them who God hates, he is named for one, who is a sower of discord among brethren, Prov. 6.19.

5. If God be our Father, then we love to be near God, and have converse with him. An ingenuous Child delights to approach near to his Father, and go into his presence. David envied the Birds that they built their Nests so near God's Altars, when he was debarred his Fathers house; Psal. 84.3. True Saints love to get as near to God as they can: In the Word they draw near to his Holy Oracle, in the Sacrament they draw near to his Table; a Child of God delights to be in his Fathers presence; he cannot stay away long from God; he sees a Sabbath day approaching and rejoiceth; his heart hath been often melted and quickened in a Ordinance, he hath tasted the Lord is good, therefore he loves to be in his Fathers presence, he cannot keep away long from God. Such as care not for Ordinances cannot say Our Father which art in Heaven : Is God their Father who cannot endure to be in his presence?

VSE I. Of Instruction. See the amazing goodness of God that is pleased to enter into this sweet relation of a Father. God needed not to adopt us, he did not want a Son: God did not want a Son, but we did a Father; God showed Power in being our Maker, but Mercy in being our Father: When we were enemies, and our hearts stood out as garrisons against God, that he should conquer our stubbornness, and of enemies make us children, and write his Name, and put his Image upon us, and bestow a Kingdom of Glory; what a Miracle of Mercy is this? Every adopted Child may say, Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. Mat. 11.26.

2. Br. or Infer. If God be a Father, then hence I infer, whatever he doth to his Children is Love.

(1.) If he smiles upon them in Prosperity it is Love: They have the World not only with God's leave, but with his love. God saith to every Child of his, as Naaman to Gehazi, 2 Kings 5.23. Be content take two talents : So saith God to his Child, I am thy Father, take two talents. Take Health and take my Love with it; take an Estate and take my Love with it; Take two talents. God's Love is a sweetening ingredient into every Mercy.

Quest. How doth it appear that a Child of God hath Worldly things in love?

Resp. 1. Because he hath a good Title to them. God is his Father, therefore he hath a good title: A wicked Man hath a civil title to the Creature, but no more; he hath it not from the hand of a Father; he is like one that takes up Cloth at the Drapers, and it is not paid for; but a Believer hath a good title to every foot of Land he hath, his Father hath settled it upon him.

2. A Child of God hath Worldly things in love, because they are sanctified to him. 1. They make him better, and are Loadstones to draw him nearer to God. 2. He hath his Fathers Blessing with them: A little blest is sweet; Exod. 23.25. He shall bless thy bread and thy water. Esau had the Venison, but Jacob got the Blessing: While the wicked have their Meat sawced with God's Wrath, Psal. 78.30, 31. Believers have their Comforts seasoned with a Blessing. It was a secret Blessing from God made Daniel's Pulse nourish him more, and make him look fairer, than they that ate of the Kings Meat, Dan. 1.15.

3. A Child of God hath Worldly things in love, because whatever he hath is an earnest of more: Every bit of Bread is a pledge and earnest of glory.

(2.) God being a Father, if he frown, if he dips his pen in gall, and write bitter things, if he corrects, 'tis in Love. A Father loves his Child as well when he doth chastise and discipline him, as when he settles his Land on him; Rev. 3.19. As many as I love, I rebuke. Afflictions are sharp Arrows, saith Gr. Nazianzen, but they are shot from the hand of a loving Father. Correctio est Virtutis gymnasium ; God afflicts with the same love he gives Christ; he doth it to humble and purify: Gentle Correction is as necessary as Daily Bread; nay, as needful as Ordinances, as Word and Sacraments. There is love in all; God smites that he may save.

(3.) God being a Father, if he desert and hide his face from his Child, it is in love. Desertion is sad in itself, a short Hell, Job 6.9. When the Light is withdrawn, Dew falls: Yet we may see a Rainbow in the Cloud, the love of a Father in all this. 1. God hereby quickens grace; perhaps grace lay dormant, Cant. 5.2. it was as fire in the embers, and God withdraws comfort to invigorate and exercise grace. Faith is a Star sometimes shines brightest in the dark night of desertion; Jonah 2.4. 2. When God hides his face from his Child, yet still he is a Father, and his heart is towards his Child; as Joseph when he spake roughly to his Brethren, and made them believe he would take them for Spyes, still his Heart was full of Love, and he was fain to go aside and weep. So God's Bowels yearn to his Children, when he seems to look strange; Isa. 54.8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee. Though God may have the look of an enemy, yet still he hath the heart of a Father.

3. Br. or Infer. Learn hence the sad case of the wicked, they cannot say, Our Father in Heaven ; they may say Our Judge, but not Our Father ; they fetch their pedigree from Hell, John 8.44. Ye are of your Father the Devil. Such as are unclean and profane, are the spurious blood of the Old Serpent, and it were blasphemy for them to call God Father. The case of the wicked is deplorable, if they are in misery, they have none to make their moan to; God is not their Father, he disclaims all Kindred with them▪ Matth. 7.23. I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity. The wicked dying in their Sins, can expect no Mercy from God as a Father. Many say, he that made them will save them, but Isa. 27.11. It is a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them. Though God was their Father by Creation, yet because they were not his Children by Adoption; therefore he that made them would not save them.

VSE II. Of Exhortation : To persuade all who are yet strangers to God, to labor to come into this Heavenly Kindred: Never leave till you can say, Our Father which art in Heaven.

Quest. But will God be a Father to me who have profaned his Name, and been a great Sinner?

Resp. If thou wilt now at last seek to God by Prayer, and break off thy Sins, God hath the Bowels of a Father for thee, and will in no wise cast thee out. When the Prodigal did arise and go to his Father, his Father had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: Luke 15.20. Though thou hast been a Prodigal, and almost spent all upon thy Lusts, yet if thou wilt now give a bill of divorce to thy Sins, and fly to God by Repentance, know that he hath the Bowels of a Father; he will embrace thee in the Arms of his Mercy, and seal thy Pardon with a Kiss. What though thy Sins have been heinous? The Wound is not so broad as the Plaister of Christ's Blood. The Sea covers great Rocks: The Sea of God's Compassion can drown thy great Sins; therefore be not discouraged, go to God, resolve to cast thyself upon his Fatherly Bowels; God may be entreated of thee, as he was of Manasseh, 2 Chron. 33.13. He prayed unto the Lord, and he was entreated of him. Manasseh made the streets run with Blood, yet when his eyes ran with Tears, God's Fatherly Bowels began to melt, and he was entreated of him.

VSE III. Of Comfort: To such as can upon good grounds call God Father: There's more sweetness in this word Father, then if we had ten thousand Worlds. David thought it a great matter to be Son in Law to a King: 1. Sam. 18.18. What is my Fathers family, that I should be Son in law to the King? But what is it to be born of God, and have God for our Father.

Quest. Wherein lies the happiness of having God for our Father?

Resp. 1. If God be our Father then he will teach us; what Father will refuse to counsel his Son? Doth God command Parents to instruct their Children, Leut. 4.10. and will not he instruct his? Isa. 48.17. I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, Psal. 71.17. O God thou hast taught me from my youth. If God be our Father he will give us the teachings of his Spirit: The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can he know them ; 1 Cor. 2.14. The Natural Man may have excellent notions in Divinity, but God must teach us to know the Mysteries of the Gospel after a Spiritual manner. A Man may see the figures upon a Dial, but he cannot tell how the day goes unless the Sun shine. We may read many Truths in the Bible, but we cannot know them savingly till God by his Spirit shine upon our Soul. God teacheth not only our Ear but our Heart; he not only informs our Mind, but inclines our Will; we never learn till God teach us. If God be our Father he will teach us how to order our affairs with discretion, Psalm 112.5. how to carry ourselves wisely, 1 Sam. 18.5. David behaved himself wisely ; he will teach us what to answer when we are brought before Governors, he will put words into our mouths, Matth. 10.18, 19, 20. Ye shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake, but take no thought how or what ye shall speak: For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

2. If God be our Father, then he hath Bowels of Affection towards us: If it be so unnatural for a Father not to love his Child, can we think God will be defective in his Love? All the affections of Parents come from God, but a spark from his flame. He is the Father of Mercies, 2 Cor. 1.3. he begets all the Mercies and Bowels in the Creature: His Love to his Children, is a Love which passeth knowledge, Eph. 3.19. it exceeds all dimensions, it is higher than Heaven, it is broader than the Sea. That you may see God's Fatherly Love to his Children; 1. Consider God makes a precious valuation of them; Isa. 43.4. Since thou wast precious in my sight: A Father prizeth his Child above his Jewels; their names are precious, for they have God's own name written upon them; Rev. 3.12. I will write upon him the name of my God : Their Prayers are a precious perfume, their Tears God bottles, Psal. 56.8. God esteems his Children as a Crown of glory in his hand; Isa. 62.3. 2. God loves the places they were born in the better for their sakes, Psal. 87.6. Of Zion it shall be said, this man was born there ; this and that Believer was born there: God loves the ground his Children tread upon. Hence Judea, the seat of God's Children and Chosen, God calls a delightsome Land, Mal. 3.12. It was not only pleasant for Situation and Fruitfulness, but because God's Children, who were his Hephsibab or Delight, lived there. 3. He chargeth the great ones of the World not to prejudice his Children; their Persons are sacred: Psal. 105.14. He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved Kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine anointed. By Anointed, is meant the Children of the High God, who have the Unction of the Spirit, and are set apart for God. 4. God delights in their company, he loves to see their Countenance and hear their Voice, Cant. 2.14. he cannot refrain long from their company: Let but two or three of his Children meet and pray together, he will be sure to be among them, Matth. 18.20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am in the midst of them. 5. God bears his Children in his Bosom, as a nursing Father doth the sucking Child. Numb. 11.12. Isa. 46.4. To be carried in God's Bosom shows how near his Children lie to his Heart. 6. God is full of solicitous care for them, 1 Pet. 5.7. He careth for you. His eye is still upon them, they are never out of his thoughts. A Father cannot always take care for his Child, he sometimes is asleep, but God is a Father that never sleeps; Psal. 121.4. He neither slumbereth nor sleepeth. 7. He thinks nothing too good to part with to his Children: He gives them the Kidneys of the Wheat, and Honey out of the Rock, and Wine on the Lees well refined, Isa. 25.6. He gives them three Jewels more worth than Heaven, the Blood of his Son, the Grace of his Spirit, the Light of his Countenance. Never was there such an indulgent affectionate Father. 8. If God hath one Love better than other, he bestows it upon them; they have the cream and quintessence of his Love. He will rejoice over thee, he will rest in his love, Zeph. 3.17. God loves his Children with such a love as he loves Christ; John 17.26. it is the same love for the unchangeableness of it: God will no more cease to love his Adopted Sons, then he will to love his Natural Son.

3. If God be our Father he will be full of sympathy; Psal. 103.13. As a Father pitieth his Children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Ier. 31.20. Is Ephraim my dear Son? my bowels are troubled for him. God pityes his Children in Two Cases.

• (1.) In Case of Infirmities.
• (2.) Injuries.

(1.) In Case of Infirmities: If the Child be deformed, or hath any • odily distemper the Father pityes it: If God be our Father, he pityes our weaknesses, and he so pityes them as to heal them; Isa. 57.18. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. As God hath Bowels to pity, so he hath Balsam to heal.

(2.) In Case of Injuries. Every blow of the Child goes to the Fathers heart; when the Saints suffer, God doth sympathize; Isa. 63.9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted: He did as it were bleed in their Wounds. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? When the foot was trod on, the head cried out. Judge. 10.16. God's Soul was grieved for the children of Israel. As when one string in a Lute is touched, all the rest of the strings sound: When God's Children are stricken, his Bowels sound. Zach. 2.8. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye.

4. If God be our Father, he will take notice of the least good he sees in us; if there be but a sigh for Sin, God hears it, Psal. 38.9. My groaning is not hid from thee ; if there be but a penitential tear comes out of our eye, God sees it, Isa. 38.5. I have seen thy tears. If there be but a good intention, God takes notice: 1 Kings 8.18. Whereas it was in thy heart to build an house to my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart. God punisheth intentional wickedness, and crowns intentional goodness; Thou didst well that it was in thy heart : God takes notice of the least scintilla, the least spark of grace in his Children: 1 Pet. 3.6. Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. The Holy Ghost doth not mention Sarah's unbelief, or laughing at the Promise, he puts a finger upon the scar, winks at her failing, and only takes notice of the good that was in her, her Obedience to her Husband, She obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord ; nay, that good which the Saints scarce take notice of in themselves, God in a special manner observes, Matth. 25.35. I was an hungered and ye gave me meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me drink : Then shall the Righteous say, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee ? They did as it were overlook and disclaim their own Works of Charity, yet Christ doth take notice, I was an hungered, and ye fed me : What a Comfort is this, God spies the least good in his Children; he can see a grain of Corn hid under Chaff, Grace hid under Corruption.

5. If God be our Father, he will take all we do in good part. Those Duties we ourselves censure, God will crown. When a Child of God looks over his best Duties, he sees so much Sin cleaving to them, that he is even confounded: Lord, saith he, there is more Sulphur than Incense in my Prayers; but for your comfort, if God be your Father, he will crown those Duties which you yourselves censure; God sees there is sincerity in the hearts of his Children, and this gold (though light) shall have grains of allowance: Though there may be defects in the services of God's Children, yet God will not cast away their offering, 2 Chron. 30.20. The Lord healed the people. The Tribes of Israel being straitened in time wanted some Legal Purifications, yet because their Hearts were upright, God healed them, he pardoned them; God accepts of the good Will, 2 Cor. 8.12. A Father takes a Letter from his Son kindly though there are blots, or bad English in it: What blottings are there in our holy things, yet our Father in Heaven accepts: Saith God, it is my Child, and he would do better; I will look upon him through Christ with a merciful eye.

6. If God be our Father then he will correct us in measure; Ier. 30.11. I will correct thee in measure ; and that two ways: 1. It shall be in measure for the kind; God will not lay upon us more than we are able to bear, 1 Cor. 10.13. he know, our frame, Psal. 103.14. he knows we are not Steel or Marble, therefore will deal gently, he will not over-afflict: As the Physician that knows the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and temper of the Body, will not give Physic too strong for the Body, nor will he give one dram or scruple too much. God hath not only the Title of a Father, but the Bowels of a Father; he will not lay too heavy burdens on his Children, least their spirits fail before him. 2. He will correct in measure for the duration; he will not let the affliction lie on too long: Psal. 125.3. The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous: It may be there, and not rest. Isa. 57.16. I will not contend forever. Our Heavenly Father will love forever, but he will not contend forever. The torments of the damned are forever, Rev. 14.11. The smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: The wicked shall drink a Sea of Wrath, but God's Children only taste of the Cup of Affliction, and their Heavenly Father will say, transeat calix, let this cup pass away from them; Isa. 35.10. A sting, a wing.

7. If God be our Father he will intermix Mercy with all our Afflictions: If he give us Wormwood to drink, he will mix it with Honey. In the Ark, the Rod was laid up, and Manna: With our Fathers Rod there is always some Manna. Ashers shoes were iron and brass, but his foot was dipped in oil; Gen. 33.24. Affliction is the shoe of brass that pincheth, but there is mercy in the affliction, there is the foot dipped in oil. When God afflicts the Body, he gives Peace of Conscience; there is Mercy in the Affliction. An Affliction comes to prevent falling into Sin, there is Mercy in the Affliction. Jacob had his Thigh hurt in wrestling, there was the Affliction; but then he saw God's face, and received a Blessing from the Angel, Gen. 32.30. there was Mercy in the Affliction. In every Cloud a Child of God may see a Rainbow of Mercy shining. As the Limner mixeth dark shadows and bright colors together; so our Heavenly Father mingles the dark and the bright together, Crosses and Blessings; and is not this a great happiness for God thus to checker his Providences, and mingle goodness with severity.

8. If God be our Father, the evil one shall not prevail against us. Satan is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the evil one, emphatically: He is the grand enemy of the Saints; and that both in a Military sense, as he fights against them with his temptations; and in a Forensical or Law-sense, as he is an accuser and pleads against them, yet neither way shall he prevail against God's Children; as for his shooting his fiery darts, God will bruise Satan shortly under the Saints feet. Rom. 16.20. As for his accusing, Christ is Advocate for the Saints, and answers all bills of inditement brought in against them. God will make all Satan's temptations promote the good of his • hildren: 1. As they set them more a praying; 2 Cor. 12.8. Temptation is a medicine for security. 2. As they are a means to humble them; 2 Cor. 12.7. Least I should be exalted above measure, there was given me a thorn in the flesh. The thorn in the flesh was a temptation; this thorn was to prick the bladder of pride. 3. As they establish them more in Grace. A Tree shaken by the Wind is more settled and rooted; the blowing of a temptation doth but settle a Child of God more in Grace. Thus the evil one, Satan, shall not prevail against the Children of God.

9. If God be our Father, no real evil shall befall us; Psal. 91.10. There shall no evil befall thee: 'It is not said no trouble, but no evil. God's Children are privileged persons; they are privileged from the hurt of everything; Luke 10.19. Nothing shall by any means hurt you. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Chrys. The hurt and malignity of the affliction is taken away. Affliction to a wicked Man hath evil in it; it makes him worse; Rev. 16.9. Men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God: But no evil befalls a Child of God, he is bettered by affliction; Heb. 12.10. That ye may be made partakers of his holiness. What hurt doth the Furnace to the Gold, it only makes it purer. What hurt doth Affliction to Grace, only refine and purify it. What a great privilege is this to be freed, though not from the stroke of Affliction, yet the sting: No evil shall touch a Saint. When the Dragon hath poisoned the water, they say the Unicorn with his horn doth draw out the poison. Christ hath drawn out the poison of every Affliction, that it cannot prejudice a Child of God. Again, no evil befalls a Child of God, because no condemnation: Rom. 8.1. No condemnation to them in Christ Jesus. God doth not condemn them, nor Conscience doth not condemn them: Both Jury and Judge acquit them, then no evil befalls them; for nothing is really an evil but that which damns.

10. If God be our Father this may make us go with cheerfulness to the Throne of Grace. Were a Man to petition his enemy there were little hope; but when a Child petitions his Father he may come with confidence to speed: The word Father works upon God, it toucheth his very Bowels. What can a Father deny his Child? If a Son ask bread will he give him a stone? Matth. 7.9. This may embolden us to go to God for pardon of Sin, and further degrees of Sanctity. We pray to a Father of Mercy, setting upon a Throne of Grace; Luke 11.13. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that ask him. This did quicken the Church, and add wings to Prayer. Isa. 63.15. Look down from heaven: ver. 16. Doubtless thou art our Father. Who doth God keep his Mercies for but his Children? Three things may cause boldness in Prayer: We have a Father to pray to, and the Spirit to help us to pray, and an Advocate to present our Prayers. God's Children should in all their troubles run to their Heavenly Father as that sick Child, 2 Kin. 4.19. He said unto his Father, My head, my head: So pour out thy complaint to God in Prayer, Father, my heart, my heart: My dead heart, quicken it; my hard heart, soften it in Christ's Blood; Father, my heart, my heart. Sure God that hears the cry of the Ravens, will hear the cry of his Children.

11. If God be our Father he will stand between us and danger. A Father will keep off danger from his Child. God calls himself scutum, a shield: A shield defends the Head, guards the Vitals; God shields off dangers from his Children, Acts 18.10. I am with thee, and none shall set on thee to hurt thee: God is an hiding place, Psalm 27.5. God preserved Athanasius strangely; he put it into his mind to depart out of the house he was in the night before the enemies came to search for him: As God hath a Breast to feed, so he hath Wings to cover his Children; Psal. 91.4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. God appoints his holy Angels to be a Life-guard about his Children, Heb. 1.14. never was any Prince so well guarded as a Believer. The Angels, 1. are a numerous guard, 2 Kings 6.17. The mountain was full of horses of fire round about Elisha. The Horses and Chariots of fire were the Angels of God to defend the Prophet Elisha. 2. A strong guard. One Angel in a night slew an hundred and fourscore and five thousand, 2 Kin. 19.32. if one Angel slew so many, what would an Army of Angels have done? 3. The Angels are a swift guard; they are ready in an instant to help God's Children; therefore they are described with wings to show their swiftness, they fly to our help, Dan. 9.21, 23. At the beginning of thy supplication the commandment came forth, and I am come to thee? Here was a swift motion for the Angel to come from Heaven to Earth between the beginning and ending of Daniel's Prayer. 4. The Angels are a watchful guard, not like Saul's guard, asleep when their Lord was in danger; 1 Sam. 26.12. The Angels are a vigilant guard, they watch over God's Children to defend them; Psal. 34.7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him. There is an invisible guardianship of Angels about God's Children.

12. If God be our Father we shall not want anything that he sees is good for us: Psal. 34.10. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. God is pleased sometimes to keep his Children to hard commons, but it is good for them; Sheep thrive best on short pasture; God sees too much may not be good; plenty breeds surfeit; Luxuriant animi rebus secundis : God sees it good sometimes to diet his Children and keep them short, that they may run the Heavenly Race the better; it was good for Jacob there was a Famine in the Land, it was a means to bring him to his Son Joseph ; so it is that God's Children sometimes see the Worlds emptiness, that they may acquaint themselves more with Christ's fullness; if God see it be good for them to have more of the World they shall have it; God will not let them want any good thing.

13. If God be our Father all the Promises of the Bible belong to us: God's Children are called Heirs of the promise; Heb. 6.17. A wicked Man can lay claim to nothing in the Bible but the Curses; he hath no more to do absolutely with the Promises, than a Ploughman hath to do with the City Charter; the Promises are Children's Bread; the Promises are mulctralia Evangelii, the Breasts of the Gospel milking out Consolation; and who are to suck of these Breasts but God's Children: The promise of Pardon is for them; Ier. 33.8. I will pardon all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me. The promise of Healing is for them; Isa. 57.18. the promise of Salvation, Ier. 23.6. the Promises are supports of Faith, they are God's sealed Deed, they are a Christians Cordial. O the Heavenly Comforts which are distilled from the Lembick of the Promises. St. Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a Garden, the Promises are the Fruit-Trees that grow in this Garden. A Child of God may go to any Promise in the Bible, and pluck Comfort from it: He is an Heir of the Promise.

14. God makes all his Children Conquerors: They are born of God, and are conquerors. 1. They conquer themselves: Fortior est qui se quam qui fortissima vincit maenia: The Saints conquer their own Lusts; they bind these princes in fetters of iron: Psal. 149.8. Though the Children of God may sometimes be foiled, and lose a single battle, yet not the victory. 2. They conquer the World. The World holds forth her two Breasts of Pleasure and Profit, and many are overcome by it; but the Children of God have a World-conquering Faith; 1 John 5.4. This is the victory over the world, even your faith. 3. They conquer their Enemies. How can that be, when they oft take away their Lives? (1.) They conquer by not complying with them: The three Children would not fall down to the Golden Image, Dan. 3.18. they would rather burn than bow; here they were Conquerors. He who complyes with another's Lust is a Captive, he who refuseth to comply is a Conqueror. (2.) God's Children conquer their enemies by heroic Patience. A patient Christian, like the anvil, bears all strokes invincibly: Thus the Martyrs overcame their enemies by Patience; nay, God's Children are more than conquerors; Rom. 8.37. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , We are more than conquerors ? How are God's Children more than Conquerors? Because they conquer without loss, and because they are crowned after death, which other Conquerors are not.

15. If God be our Father, he will now and then send us some tokens of his Love. God's Children live far from home, and meet sometimes with coarse usage from the unkind World; therefore God to encourage his Children, sends them sometimes tokens and pledges of his Love: What are these? He gives them a return of Prayer, there is a token of Love; he quickens and enlargeth their Hearts in Duty, there is a token of Love; he gives them the first fruits of his Spirit, which are Love-tokens, Rom. 8.23. As God gives the wicked the first fruits of Hell, horror of Conscience and Despair, so he gives his Children the first fruits of his Spirit, Joy and Peace, which are foretastes of Glory. Some of God's Children having received these tokens of Love from their Heavenly Father, have been so transported that they have died for Joy; as the Glass oft breaks with the strength of the Wine put into it.

16. If God be our Father he will indulge and spare us; Mal. 3.17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him : God's sparing his Children imports this, his clemency towards them, he doth not punish them as he might; Psal. 103.10. He hath not dealt with us according to our sins : We oft do that which merits Wrath, grieve God's Spirit, relapse into Sin; God passeth by much, and spares us: God did not spare his Natural Son, Rom. 8.32. yet he will spare his Adopted Sons; God threatened Ephraim to make him as the Chaff driven with the Whirlwind, but he soon repented; Hos. 13.4. Yet I am the Lord thy God : ver. 10. I will be thy King : Here God spared him as a Father spares his Son▪ Israel oft provoked God with their complaints, but God used clemency towards them, he oft answered their murmurings with Mercies; here he spared them as a Father spares his Son.

17. If God be our Father he will put Honor and Renown upon us at the last day. 1. He will clear the innocence of his Children: God's Children in this Life are strangely misrepresented to the World; they are loaded with invectives, they are called factious, seditious: Elijah, the troubler of Israel; Luther was called the trumpet of Rebellion; Athanasius was accused to the Emperor Constantine to be the raiser of Tumults; the Primitive Christians were accused to be infanticidii, incestus rei, killers of their Children, guilty of Incest; as Tertullian ; St. Paul reported to be a pestilent person, Acts 24.5. Famous Wycliffe called the Idol of the Heretics, and that he died drunk. If Satan cannot defile God's Children, he will disgrace them; if he cannot strike his fiery darts into their Conscience, he will put a dead fly into their Name; but God will one day clear his Children's innocence, he will roll away their reproach: As God will make a Resurrection of Bodies, so of Names; Isa. 25.8. The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away: God will be the Saints compurgator. Psal. 37.6. He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light. The Night casts its dark mantle upon the most beautiful Flowers, but the light comes in the Morning and dispells the darkness, and every Flower appears in its orient brightness; so the wicked may by misreports darken the honor and repute of the Saints, but God will dispel this darkness, and cause their Names to shine forth: He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light. As God did stand up for the honor of Moses when Aaron and Miriam went about to eclipse his Fame; Numb. 12.8. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? So will God say one day to the wicked, wherefore were not ye afraid to defame and traduce my Children? They having my Image upon them how durst ye abuse my Picture. At last God's Children shall come forth out of all their calumnies, as a Dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold; Psal. 68.13. 2. God will make an open and honorable recital of all their good deeds: As the Sins of the Wicked shall be openly mentioned to their eternal infamy and confusion, so all the good deeds of the Saints shall be openly mentioned, and then shall every man have praise of God ; 1 Cor. 4.5. Every Prayer made with melting eyes, every good service, every work of Charity, shall be openly declared before Men and Angels, Matth. 25.35. I was an hungered and ye gave me meat, thirsty and ye gave me drink, naked and ye clothed me : Thus God will set a Trophy of Honor upon all his Children at the last day. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father: Matth. 13.43.

18. If God be our Father he will settle good land of inheritance upon us: 1 Pet. 1.4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, who hath begotten us again to a lively hope, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled. A Father may be fallen to decay, and have nothing to leave his Son but his Blessing; but God will settle an Inheritance on his Children, and an Inheritance no less than a Kingdom; Luke 17.32. It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdom. This Kingdom is more Glorious and Magnificent than any Earthly Kingdom; it is set out by Pearls and precious Stones, the richest Jewels; Rev 21.19. What are all the Rarities of the World to this Kingdom? The Coasts of Pearl, the Islands of Spices, the Rocks of Diamonds? In this Heavenly Kingdom is that which is satisfying, unparalleled Beauty, Rivers of Pleasure; and this forever: Psal. 16.11. At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore: Heavens eminency is its permanency; and this Kingdom God's Children shall enter into immediately after Death: There is a sudden transition and passage from Death to Glory: 2 Cor. 5.9. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. God's Children shall not stay long for their Inheritance; it is but winking and they shall see God: How may this comfort God's Children, who perhaps are low in the World, your Father in Heaven will settle a Kingdom upon you at death, such a Kingdom as eye hath not seen; he will give you a Crown, not of Gold but Glory; he will give you white Robes lined with Immortality. It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a kingdom.

19. If God be our Father it is Comfort: 1. In case of loss of Relations: Hast thou lost a Father, yet if thou art a Believer thou art no Orphan, thou hast an Heavenly Father, a Father that never dies, 1 Tim. 6.16. Who only hath immortality. 2. It is comfort in case of Death: God is thy Father, and at Death thou art going to thy Father: Well might Paul say, Death is yours, 1 Cor. 3.22. it is your friend that will carry you home to your Father. How glad are Children when they are going home? This was Christ's comfort at Death, he was going to his Father; John. 16.28. I leave the world and go to the Father ; and John 20.17. I ascend to my Father. If God be our Father we may with comfort at the day of death resign our Souls into his hands. So did Christ; Luke 23.46. Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit. If a Child hath any Jewel, he will in time of danger put it into his Fathers hands, where he thinks it will be kept most safe: Our Soul is our richest Jewel; we may at Death resign our Souls into God's hands, where they will be safer than in our own keeping; Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit: What a comfort is this, Death carries a Believer to his Fathers house, where are delights unspeakable and full of glory. How glad was Old Jacob when he saw the Waggons and Chariots to carry him to his Son Joseph ; the Text saith, His Spirit revived; Gen. 45.27. Death is a triumphant Chariot to carry every Child of God to his Fathers Mansion house.

20. If God be our Father, he will not disinherit his Children; God may for a time desert them, but not disinherit them: The Sons of Kings have been sometimes disinherited by the cruelty of Usurpers; as Alexander the Great his Son was put by his just Right, by the violence and ambition of his Fathers Captains; but what Power on Earth shall hinder the Heirs of the Promise from their Inheritance? Men cannot, and God will not cut off the entail. The Arminians hold falling away from Grace, and so a Child of God may be defeated of his Inheritance; but I shall show you that God's Children can never be degraded or disinherited, their Heavenly Father will not cast them off from being Children. 1. It is evident God's Children cannot be finally disinherited by virtue of the Eternal Decree of Heaven. God's Decree is the very Pillar and Basis on which the Saints perseverance depends; God's Decree tyes the knot of Adoption so fast, that neither Sin, Death or Hell, can break it asunder; Rom. 8.30. Whom he did predestinate them he also called, &c. Predestination is nothing else but God's decreeing a certain number to be Heirs of Glory, on whom he will settle the Crown; whom he predestinates he glorifies; what shall hinder God's electing Love, or make his Decree null and void? 2. Besides God's Decree, he hath engaged himself by Promise, that the Heirs of Heaven shall never be put by their Inheritance. God's Promises are not like blanks in a Lottery, but as a sealed Deed which cannot be reversed: The Promises are the Saints Royal Charter; and this is one Promise that their Heavenly Father will not disinherit them; Ier. 32.40. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me. God's Fidelity, which is the richest Pearl of his Crown, is engaged in this Promise for his Children's perseverance; I will not turn away from them. A Child of God cannot fall away while he is held fast in these two Arms of God, his Love and his Faithfulness. 3. Jesus Christ undertakes that all God's Children by Adoption shall be preserved in a state of Grace till they inherit Glory: As the Heathens feigned of Atlas that he did bear up the Heavens from falling; Jesus Christ is that blessed Atlas that bears up the Saints from falling away.

Quest. How doth Christ preserve the Saints Graces till they come to Heaven?

Resp. 1. Influxu Spiritus. Christ carries on Grace in the Souls of the Elect by the influence and co-operation of his Spirit. Christ doth Spiritu continually excite and quicken Grace in the Godly; his Spirit doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 blow up the sparks of Grace into an holy flame. Spiritus est Vicarius Christi ; The Spirit is Christ's Vicar on Earth, his Proxy, his Executor to see that all that Christ hath purchased for the Saints be made good: Christ hath obtained an Inheritance incorruptible for them, 1 Pet. 1.4. and the Spirit of Christ is his Executor to see that this Inheritance be settled upon them.

2. Christ carries on Grace perseveringly in the Souls of the Elect, vi orationis, by the prevalency of his intercession; Heb. 7.25. He ever lives to make intercession for them. Christ prays that every Saint may hold out in Grace till he comes to Heaven. Can the Children of such Prayers perish? If the Heirs of Heaven should be disinherited, and fall short of Glory, then God's Decree must be reversed, his Promise broken, Christ's Prayer frustrated, which were Blasphemy to imagine. 4. That God's Children cannot be disinherited or put by their Right to the Crown of Heaven, is evident from their Mystical Union with Christ. Believers are incorporated into Christ, they are knit to Christ as the Members to the Head, by the Nerves and Ligaments of Faith, so that they cannot be broken off; Eph. 1.22, 23. The Church which is his Body. What was once said of Christ's Natural Body, is as true of his Mystical; A bone of it shall not be broken. As it is impossible to sever the leaven and the dough when they are once mingled and kneaded together; so it is impossible when Christ and Believers are once united, that they should ever by the power of Death or Hell be separated. Christ and his Spiritual Members make one Christ; now is it possible that any part of Christ should perish? How can Christ want any Member of his Body Mystical, and be perfect? Every Member is an Ornament to the Body, and adds to the honor of it: How can Christ part with any Mystical Member, and not part with some of his Glory too? So that by all this it is evident that God's Children must needs persevere in Grace and cannot be disinherited. If they could be disinherited then the Scripture could not be fulfilled, which tells us of Glorious Rewards for the Heirs of Promise; Psal. 58.11. Doubtless there is a reward for the righteous. Now if God's Adopted Children should fall finally from Grace, and miss of Heaven, what Reward were there for the Righteous? And Moses did indiscreetly to look to the recompense of reward, and so there would be a door opened to despair.

Object. This Doctrine of God's Children persevering, and having the Heavenly Inheritance settled on them, may cause carnal security, and make them less circumspect in their walking?

Resp. Corrupt Nature may as the Spider, suck poison from this Flower, but a sober Christian who hath felt the efficacy of Grace upon his Heart, dares not abuse this Doctrine: He knows perseverance is attained in the use of means, therefore he walks holily, that so in the use of means he may arrive at perseverance. St. Paul knew that he should not be disinherited, and that nothing could separate him from the love of Christ, but who more holy and watchful than he; 1 Cor. 9.27. I keep under my Body, and Phil. 3.14. I press toward the mark. God's Children have that holy fear in them as keeps them from security and wantonness; they believe the Promise, therefore they rejoice in hope; they fear their hearts, therefore they watch and pray. Thus you see what strong consolation there is for all the Heirs of the Promise. Such as have God for their Father are the happiest persons on Earth, they are in such a condition that nothing can hurt them; they have their Fathers Blessing, all things conspire for their good; they have a Kingdom settled on them, and the entail can never be cut off. How may God's Children be comforted in all conditions, let the times be what they will; their Father is in Heaven, he rules all: If troubles arise they shall but carry God's Children so much the sooner to their Father. The more violently the Wind beats against the sails of a Ship, the sooner the Ship is brought to the Haven; and the more fiercely God's Children are assaulted, the sooner they come to their Fathers house. 1 Thess. 4.18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

VSE IV. Of Exhortation. Let us behave and carry ourselves as the Children of such a Father. In several particulars.

1. Let us depend upon our Heavenly Father in all our straits and exigencies; let us believe that he will provide for us. Children rely upon their Parents for the supply of wants: If we trust God for Salvation shall we not trust him for a Livelyhood? There is a lawful provident care to be used, but beware of a distrustful care; Luke 12.24. Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, and God seedeth them. Doth God feed the Birds of the Air, and will he not feed his Children? ver. 27. Consider the lilies how they grow, they spin not, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Doth God clothe the Lilies, and will he not clothe his Lambs? Even the wicked taste of God's bounty; Psal. 73.7. Their eyes stand out with fatness. Doth God feed his Slaves, and will not he feed his Family? God's Children may not have so liberal a share in the things of this life, but little meal in the barrel; they may be drawn low, but not drawn dry; they shall have so much as God sees is good for them; Psal. 34.10. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. If God gives them not ad voluntatem, he will ad sanitatem ; if he gives them not always what they crave, he will give them what they need; if he gives them not a feast, he will give them a viaticum a bait by the way: Let God's Children therefore depend upon God's Fatherly Providence; give not way to distrustful thoughts, distracting cares, or indirect means; God can provide for you without your Sins, 1 Pet. 5.7. Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you : An Earthly Parent may have affection for his Child, and would provide for him, but sometimes he is not able; but God can create a supply for his Children; yea, he hath promised a supply, Psal. 37.3. Verily thou shalt be fed. Will God give his Children Heaven, and will he not give them enough to bear their charges thither? Will he give them a Kingdom and deny them Daily bread? O depend upon your Heavenly Father, he hath said he will never leave you, nor forsake you; Heb. 13.5.

2. If God be our Father let us imitate him: The Child doth not only bear his Fathers Image, but doth imitate him in his Speech, Gesture, Behaviour; if God be our Father let us imitate him; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Gr. Nyssen. Eph. 5.1. Be followers of God as dear children. 1. Imitate God in forgiving injuries; Isa. 44.22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions. As the Sun scatters not only thin mists, but thick clouds, so God pardons great offenses; imitate God in this, Eph. 4.32. Forgiving one another. Cranmar was a Man of a forgiving Spirit, he did bury injuries, and requite good for evil: He who hath God for his Father, hath God for his Pattern. 2. Imitate God in works of Mercy: He looseth the prisoners; Psal. 146.7. He opens his hand, and satisfieth the desire of every living thing; Psal. 145.16. He drops his sweet Dew as well upon the Thistle as the Rose; imitate God in Works of Mercy, relieve the wants of others, be rich in good works; Luke 6.36. Be merciful as your Father also is merciful. Be not so hard-hearted as to shut the poor out of the lines of communication. Dives denied Lazarus a crumb of Bread, and Dives was denied a drop of Water.

3. If God be our Father let us submit patiently to his Will; if he lay his strokes on us, they are the corrections of a Father, not the punishments of a Judge: This made Christ so patient, John 18.11. Shall not I drink the cup which my Father hath given me? He sees we need affliction, 1 Pet. 1.6. he appoints it as a diet-drink to purge and sanctify us, Isa. 27.9. therefore dispute not but submit; Heb. 12.9. We had fathers of the flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence : They might correct out of an humor, but God doth it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for our profit; Heb. 12.10. Therefore say as Eli, 1 Sam. 3.18. It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. What gets the Child by struggling but more blows? What got Israel by their murmuring and rebelling, but a longer and more tedious march, and at last their Carcases fell in the Wilderness.

4. If God be our Father let this cause in us a Childlike Reverence; Mal. 1.6. If I be a Father where is my honor? This is a part of the honor we give to God when we reverence and adore him. If you have not always a Childlike Confidence, yet always preserve a Childlike Reverence; and how ready are we to run into extremes, either to despond or grow wanton. Because God is a Father therefore do not think you may be secure, and take liberty to sin; if you do, God may carry it so as if he were no Father, he may throw Hell into your Conscience. When David presumed upon God's Paternal Affection, and began to wax wanton under Mercy, God made him pay dear for it, he withdrew the sense of his Love; and though he had the heart of a Father, yet he had the look of an Enemy. David prayed, Cause • e to hear the voice of joy: Psal. 51.8. He lay several months in desertion, and it is thought he never recovered his full joy to the day of his death. Oh keep alive holy fear; with a Childlike confidence preserve an humble reverence: The Lord is a Father, therefore love to serve him; he is the Mighty God, therefore fear to offend him.

5. If God be our Father let us walk obedientially; 1 Pet. 1.14. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , As obedient Children. When God bids you be humble and self-denying, deny yours, part with your bosom sin, be sober in your attire, savoury in your speeches, grave in your deportment, obey your Fathers voice: Open to God as the Flower opens to the Sun: As you expect your Fathers Blessing obey him in whatever he commands, First and Second Table Duties. A Lutenist that he may make sweet Music, toucheth upon every String of the Lute: The Ten Commandments are like a ten stringed Instrument, touch upon every String, obey every Command, or you cannot make sweet Melody in Religion. Obey your Heavenly Father, though he commands things contrary to Flesh and blood. 1. When he commands to mortify Sin; that Sin which hath been dear to you: Pluck out this right eye, that you may see the better to go to Heaven. 2. When he commands you to suffer for him, be ready to obey, Acts 21.13. every good Christian hath a Spirit of Martyrdom in him, and is ready rather to suffer for the Truth, than the Truth should suffer. Luther said, he had rather be a Martyr than a Monarch. Peter was Crucified with his Head downwards, as Eusebius. Ignatius called his Chains his Spiritual Pearls, and did wear his Fetters as a Bracelet of Diamonds. This is to carry it as God's Children when we obey his voice, and count not our lives dear so that we may show our love to our Heavenly Father; Rev. 12.11. They loved not their lives to the death.

6. If God be your Father, show it by your cheerful looks that you are the Children of such a Father. Too much drooping and despondency disparageth the Relation you stand in to God. What though you meet with hard usage in the World, you are now in a strange Land, far from home, it will be shortly better with you when you are in your own Country, and your Father hath you in his Arms: Doth not the Heir rejoice in hope? Shall the Sons of a King walk dejected? 2 Sam. 13.4. Why art thou being the Kings Son lean? Is God an unkind Father, are his Commands grievous? Hath he no Land to give to his Heirs? Why then do God's Children walk so sad? Never had Children such Privileges as they who are of the Seed-Royal of Heaven, and have God for their Father; they should rejoice therefore who are within a few hours to be crowned with Glory.

7. If God be our Father, let us honor him by walking very holily; 1 Pet. 1.16. Be ye holy for I am holy. A young Prince asking a Philosopher how he should behave himself, the Philosopher said, Memento te filium esse Regis, Remember thou art a Kings Son ; do nothing but what becomes the Son of a King: So remember you are the adopted Sons and Daughters of the high God, do nothing unworthy of such a Relation. A debauched Child is the disgrace of his Father. Is this thy Sons Coat said they to Jacob, when they brought it home dipped in blood? Gen. 37.32. so when we see a person defiled with Malice, Passion, Drunkenness, we may say, is this the Coat of God's adopted Son? Doth he look as an Heir of Glory? 'It is a blaspheming the Name of God to call him Father, yet live in Sin. Such as profess God is their Father, yet live unholily, they will slander and defraud, these are as bad to God as Heathens: Amos 9.7. Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians to me, O children of Israel, saith the Lord? The Ethiopians were uncircumcised, a base ill-bred People; when Israel grew wicked they were no better to God than Ethiopians. Loose scandalous livers under the Gospel are no better in God's esteem than Pagans and Americans ; nay, they shall have an hotter place in Hell. O let all who profess God to be their Father, honor him by their unspotted lives. Scipio abhorred the embraces of an Harlot because he was the General of an Army. Abstain from all Sin because you are born of God, and have God for your Father; 1 Thess. 5.22. Abstain from all appearance of evil▪ 'Twas a saying of Augustus, An Emperor should not only be free from Crimes, but from the suspicion of them; by an holy Life you would bring Glory to your Heavenly Father, and cause others to become his Children: Est pellax virtutis odor—. Causinus in his Hieroglyphics, speaks of a Dove, whose Wings being perfumed with sweet Oyntments did draw the other Doves after her: The holy Lives of God's Children is a sweet perfume to draw others to Religion, and make them to be of the Family of God. Justin Martyr saith, that which converted him to Christianity was the beholding the blameless Lives of the Christians.

8. If God be our Father, let us love all that are his Children; Psal. 133.1. How pleasant is it for brethren to dwell together in unity. 'It is compared to Ointment, ver. 2. for the sweet fragrancy of it: 1 Pet. 2.17. Love the brotherhood. Idem est motus animae in imaginem & rem ; The Saints are the walking pictures of God; if God be our Father we love to see his picture of Holiness in Believers; we pity them for their Infirmities, but love them for their Graces; we prize their Company above others; Psal. 119.63. it may justly be suspected that God is not their Father, who love not God's Children; though they retain the Communion of Saints in their Creed, yet they banish the Communion of Saints out of their Company.

9. If God be our Father let us show Heavenly mindedness: They who are born of God do 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , set their Affections on things that are above; Col. 3.2. O ye Children of the high God do not disgrace your high birth by sordid Covetousness. What a Son of God, and a slave to the World? What spring from Heaven, and buried in the Earth. For a Christian who pretends to derive his pedigree from Heaven, yet wholly to mind Earthly things, is to debase himself, as if a King should leave his Throne to follow the Plough; Ier. 45.5. Seekest thou great things for thyself? As if the Lord had said, what thou Baruck, thou who art born of God, akin to Angels, and by thy Office a Levite, dost thou debase thyself, and spot the silver wings of thy Grace, by beliming them with earth? Seekest thou great things, seek them not. The Earth chokes the Fire: Earthliness chokes the Fire of good Affections.

10. Vlt. If God be our Father let us own our Heavenly Father in the worst times, stand up in his cause, defend his Truths. Athanasius owned God when most of the World turned Arians : If Sufferings come do not deny God: He is a bad Son who denies his Father: Such as are ashamed of God in times of danger, God will be ashamed to own them for his Children; Mark 8.38. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father, with his holy Angels. So I have done with the First Part of the Preface, Our Father.

II. The Second Part of the Preface, (which I shall but briefly touch on) is, [ which art in Heaven. ] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . God is said to be in Heaven, not that he is so included there that he is nowhere else, for the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him, • Kings 8.27. but the meaning is, God is chiefly resident in the Empyrean Heaven, which the Apostle calls the third Heaven, 2 Cor. 12.2. there God doth most give forth his Glory to his Saints and Angels.

Quest. What may we learn from this, that God is in Heaven?

Answ. 1. Hence we learn that we are to raise our Minds in Prayer above the Earth. God is nowhere to be spoken with but in Heaven. God never denied that Soul his suit who went as far as Heaven to ask it.

2. We learn from God's being in Heaven his Sovereign Power. Hoc vocabulo intelligitur omnia subesse ejus imperio. Calvin. Psal. 115.3. Our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatever he pleased. God being in Heaven governs the Universe, and orders all Occurrences here below for the good of his Children: When the Saints are in straits and dangers, and see no way of relief, he can send from Heaven and help them; Psal. 57.3. He shall send from heaven and save me.

3. We learn God's Glory and Majesty: He is in Heaven, therefore he is covered with light, Psal. 104.2. clothed with honor, Psal. 104.1. and is as far above all Worldly Princes as Heaven is above Earth.

4. We learn from God's being in Heaven, his Omnisciency: All things are naked and unmasked to his eye; Heb. 4.13. Men plot and contrive against the Church, but God is in Heaven, and they do nothing but what our Father sees. If a Man were on the top of an high Tower or Theatre, he might thence see all the People below: God is in Heaven as in an Tower or Theatre, and he sees all the transactions of Men. The Wicked make wounds in the backs of the Righteous, and then pour in Vinegar; God writes down their cruelty; Exod. 3.7. I have seen the afflictions of my people. God is in Heaven, and he can thunder out of Heaven upon his enemies: Psal. 18.13. The Lord thundered in the heavens; yea, he sent out arrows and scattered them, and he shot out lightnings and discomfited them.

5. We learn from God's being in Heaven, Comfort; for the Children of God when they pray to their Father, the way to Heaven cannot be blocked up: One may have a Father living in Foreign parts, but the way both the Sea and by Land may be so blocked up that there is no coming to him; but thou Saint of God, when thou prayest to thy Father he is in Heaven, and though thou art never so confined, thou mayest have access to him. A Prison cannot keep thee from thy God; the way to Heaven can never be blocked up.

So I have done with the word Father, I shall speak next of the Pronoun 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Our, Father. In the first there is an Appellation, Father ; in the second an Appropriation, Our Father. Christ by this word (Our) would teach us thus much, That in all our Prayers to God we should act Faith. Our Father; Father, denotes Reverence, Our Father, denotes Faith. In all our Prayers to God we should exercise Faith, Our Father. Faith is that which baptizeth Prayer, and gives it a name, it is called the Prayer of Faith, I am. 5.15. without Faith it is speaking not praying. Faith is the breath of Prayer. Prayer is dead unless Faith breathe in it. Faith is a necessary requisite in Prayer. The Oil of the Sanctuary was made up of several sweet Spices, pure Myrrh, Cassia, Cinnamon, Exod. 30.23. Faith is the chief spice or ingredient into Prayer, which makes it go up to the Lord as sweet Incense, I am. 1.6. Let him ask in faith. Mat. 21.22. Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Invoco te Domine quanquam languida & imbecilla fide, tamen fide ; Lord, said Cruciger, I pray, though with a weak Faith, yet with Faith. Prayer is the Gun we shoot with, Fervency is the Fire that dischargeth it, and Faith is the Bullet which pierceth the Throne of Grace; Prayer is the Key of Heaven, Faith is the Hand that turns it; Pray in faith, Our Father. Faith must take Prayer by the hand, or there is no coming nigh to God; Prayer without Faith is unsuccessful. If a poor Handicrafts-man, that lives by his labor, hath spoiled his tools that he cannot work, how shall he subsist? Prayer is the tool we work with, which procures all good for us, but unbelief spoils and blunts our Prayers, and then we can get no Blessing from God: A Prayer that is Faithless is Fruitless. As Joseph said, You shall not see my face unless you bring your brother Benjamin with you; Gen. 43.3. so Prayer cannot see God's face, unless it bring its brother Faith with it. What is said of Israel, They could not enter in because of unbelief, Heb. 3.19. is as true of Prayer, it cannot enter into Heaven because of unbelief. This makes Prayer often suffer shipwreck, because it dasheth upon the rock of Unbelief: O sprinkle Faith in Prayer. We must say, Our Father.

Quest. 1. What doth praying in Faith imply?

Resp. Praying in Faith implies the having of Faith; the act implies the habit: To walk implies a principle of Life, so to pray in Faith implies an habit of Grace. None can pray in Faith but Believers.

Quest. 2. What is it to pray in Faith?

Answ. 1. To pray in Faith is to pray for that which God hath promised; where there is no promise we cannot pray in Faith.

2. To pray in Faith is to pray in Christ's meritorious Name; John 14.13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do. To pray in Christ's Name is to pray in the hope and confidence of Christ's Merit. When we present Christ to God in Prayer, when we carry the Lamb slain in our Arms, when we say Lord, we are Sinners, but here is our Surety, for Christ's sake be propitious, this is coming to God in Christ's Name, and this is to pray in Faith.

3. To pray in Faith is in Prayer to fix our Faith on God's faithfulness, believing that he doth hear and will help; this is a taking hold of God; Isa. 64.7. By Prayer we draw nigh to God, by Faith we take hold of him. 2 Chron. 13.14. The children of Judah cried unto the Lord ; and this was the crying of Faith; ver. 18. They prevailed because they relied on the Lord God of their Fathers: Making supplication to God, and staying the Soul on God, is praying in Faith: To pray and not rely on God for the granting our Petitions, irrisio Dei est, saith Pelican, it is to abuse and put a scorn upon God. By praying we seem to honor God, by not believing we affront him. In Prayer we say, Almighty, Merciful Father, by not believing, we blot out all his Titles again.

Quest. 3. How may we know that we do truly pray in Faith? We may say Our Father, and think we pray in Faith, when it is in presumption, how therefore may we know that we do indeed pray in Faith?

Answ. 1. When our Faith in Prayer is humble: A presumptuous person hopes to be heard in Prayer for some inherent worthiness in himself; he is so qualified, and hath done God good service, therefore he is confident God will hear his Prayer: See an instance, Luke 18.11, 12. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus, God I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust: I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess: This was a presumptuous Prayer; but a sincere heart doth as well act Humility in Prayer as Faith, Luke 18.13. The Publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. God be merciful, there was Faith, to me a sinner, there was Humility, and a sense of unworthiness.

2. We may know we pray in Faith, when though we have not the present thing we pray for, yet we believe God will grant, therefore we will stay his leisure. A Christian having a command to pray, and a promise, he is resolved to follow God with Prayer and not give over; as Peter he knocked, yet the door was not opened, but he continued knocking, and at last it was opened, Acts 12.16. so a Christian prays and prays, but hath no answer, but he will continue knocking at Heaven door, knowing an answer will come; Psal. 86.7. Thou wilt answer me : Here is one that prays in Faith. Christ saith, Pray and faint not; Luke 18.1. A Believer at Christ's word lets down the net of Prayer, and though he catch nothing, he will cast the net of Prayer again, believing that Mercy will come. Patience in Prayer is nothing but Faith spun out.

VSE I. It reproves them that pray in Formality, not in Faith: They question whether God hears, or will grant; I am. 4.3. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss. He doth not say ye ask that which is unlawful, but ye ask amiss; when Men pray and believe not, they ask amiss, and therefore they receive not. Unbelief clips the wings of Prayer that it will not fly to the Throne of Grace; the rubbish of unbelief stops the currant of Prayer.

VSE II. Of Exhortation. Let us set Faith a work in Prayer, [ Our Father ]: The Husbandman sows in hope; Prayer is the seed we sow; when the hand of Faith scatters this seed, it brings forth a fruitful crop of Blessing. Prayer is the ship we send out to Heaven; when Faith makes an adventure in this ship, it brings home large returns of Mercy. O pray in Faith, say Our Father ; and that we may act Faith in Prayer, consider,

1. God's readiness to hear Prayer, Deus paratus ad vota exaudienda, did God forbid all addresses to him, it would put a damp upon the trade of Prayer, but God's ear is open to Prayer. It is one of the Names by which God is known; Psal. 65.2. O thou that hearest prayer. The Aediles among the Romans had their doors always standing open, that all who had petitions might have free access to them: God is both ready to hear and grant Prayer: This may encourage Faith in Prayer; and whereas some may say they have prayed but have had no answer. 1. God may hear Prayer though he doth not presently answer; we write a Letter to a Friend, he may have received it, though we have yet had no answer of it. Perhaps thou prayest for the light of God's face, God may lend thee an ear, though he doth not show thee his face. 2. God may give an answer to Prayer when we do not perceive it. His giving an heart to pray, and inflaming the affections in Prayer is an answer of Prayer; Psal. 138.3. In the day that I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul: David's inward strength was an answer of Prayer, therefore let God's readiness to hear Prayer encourage Faith in Prayer.

2. That we may act Faith in Prayer, consider, we do not pray alone, Christ prays over our Prayers again: Christ's Prayer is the ground why our Prayer is heard. Christ takes the dross out of our Prayer, and presents nothing to his Father but pure Gold. Christ mingles his sweet odors with the Prayers of the Saints: Rev. 5.8. Think of the dignity of his Person, he is God; and the sweetness of his Relation, he is a Son. O what encouragement is here to pray in Faith. Our Prayers are put into the hand of a Mediator. Christ's Prayer is mighty and powerful.

3. We pray to God for nothing but what is pleasing to him, and he hath a mind to grant: If a Son ask nothing but what his Father is willing to bestow, this may make him go to him with confidence; when we pray to God for holy hearts, there's nothing more pleasing to him; 1 Thess. 4.3. This is the will of God even your sanctification. We pray that God would give us an heart to love him, and there's nothing he more desires than our Love. How may this make us pray in Faith, when we pray for nothing but what is acceptable to God, and which he delights to bestow.

4. To encourage Faith in Prayer, consider the many sweet Promises that God hath made to Prayer. The Cork keeps the Net from sinking; the Promises are the Cork to keep Faith from sinking in Prayer. God hath bound himself to us by his Promises. The Bible is bespangled with Promises made to Prayer, Isa. 30.19. He will be very gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry. The Lord is rich unto all that call upon him, Rom. 10.12. Ier. 29.13. Then shall ye find me when you search for me with all your heart. Psal. 145.19. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him. The Tyrians tied their God Hercules with a Golden Chain that he should not remove; God hath tied himself fast to us by his Promises▪ how should these animate and spirit Faith in Prayer; Faith gets strength in Prayer by sucking from the breast of a Promise.

5. That we may act Faith in Prayer, consider Jesus Christ hath purchased that which we pray for: We may think the things which we ask in Prayer too great for us to obtain, but they are not too great for Christ to purchase: We pray for pardon, Christ hath purchased it in his Blood: We pray for the Spirit to animate and inspire us, the sending down of the Holy Ghost into our hearts is the fruit of Christ's death, John 16. This may put life into our Prayers, and make us pray in Faith, because the things we ask in Prayer, though they are more than we deserve, yet not more than Christ hath purchased for us.

6. To make us pray in Faith, consider there is such a bountifulness in God, that he often excels the prayers of his people; he gives them more than they ask; as Hannah asked a Son, and God gave her not only a Son, but a Prophet; Solomon asked Wisdom, and God gave him not only Wisdom, but Riches and Honor besides; Jacob prayed that God would but give him Food and Rayment, and the Lord increased his Pilgrims staff into two • ands; Gen. 32.10. God is oft better to us than our Prayers, as when Gehazi asked but one Talent, Naaman would needs force two upon him, 2 Kings 5.23. We ask one Talent of Mercy, and God gives two Talents The Woman of Canaan asked but a crumb, namely, to have the life of her Child, and Christ gave her more, he sent her home with the life of her Soul.

7. The great success the Prayer of Faith hath found; like Jonathan's bow it hath not returned empty. Vocula pater dicta in cord, saith Luther : This little word Father, pronounced in Faith, hath overcome God; Gen. 32.11. Deliver me I pray thee ; and this was mixed with Faith in the promise, ver. 12. Thou sai • st I will surely do thee good, and this Prayer had power with God and prevailed, Hos. 12.4. the Prayer of Faith hath opened prison doors, stopped the chariot of the Sun, locked and unlock'd Heaven, I am. 5.17 the Prayer of Faith hath strangled the plots of enemies in the birth, it hath routed their forces. Moses Prayer against Amalek did more than Joshua's sword, and may not this hearten and corroborate Faith in Prayer.

8. If all this will not prevail, consider how heartless and comfortless it is to pray, and not in Faith: The heart misgives secretly, God doth not hear, nor will he grant. Faithless praying must needs be comfortless, for there is no promise made to unbelieving Prayer. 'It is sad sailing where there is no anchoring, and sad praying where there is no promise to anchor upon: I am. 1.7. The Disciples toil'd all night and caught nothing; the Unbeliever toils in Prayer, and catcheth nothing; he receives not any Spiritual Blessings, pardon of Sin or Grace: As for the Temporal Mercies the Unbeliever hath, he cannot look upon them as the fruit of Prayer, but as the over-flowings and spillings of God's bounty: Oh therefore labor to exert and put forth Faith in Prayer.

Object. But there is so much sin cleaves to my Prayer, that I fear it is not the Prayer of Faith, and God will not hear it.

Resp. If thou mournest for this, it hinders not but that thy Prayer may be in Faith, and God may hear it? Weakness in Prayer shall not make void the Saints Prayers; Psal. 31.22. I said in my hast I am cut off. There was much unbelief in this Prayer. I said in my hast, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in my trembling. David's Faith did tremble and faint, yet God heard his prayer. The Saints passions do not hinder the Saints prayers, I am. 5.17. therefore be not discouraged, though sin will cleave to thy holy offering, yet these two things may comfort, thou mayest pray with Faith though with weakness, and God sees the sincerity, and will pass by the infirmity.

Quest. How shall we do to pray in Faith?

Answ. Implore the Spirit of God: We cannot say Our Father but by the Holy Ghost. God's Spirit helps us not only to pray with sighs and groans but with Faith The Spirit carries us to God, not only as to a Creator but a Father; Gal. 4.6. He hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father. Crying, there the Spirit causeth us to pray with fervency; Abba Father, there the Spirit helps us to pray with Faith: Prayer is the key of Heaven; the Spirit helps Faith to turn this key, and then it unlocks Heaven.

HAving spoken of the Introduction to the Lord's Prayer, After this manner pray ye ; and the Preface, Our Father which art in Heaven : I come now Thirdly to the Prayer itself, which consists of seven Petitions. A short body of Divinity is contained in them. I begin with the first Petition.