Babington - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .B23 1615

g. PETITION. vpon theLords Prayer. 95 (hould not lie in the Lord, but in your felues when wee would haue our lins for - giuen. Others day, they include apromife of ours to the Lord, that wee will for- giue all the world hartily and vntainedly. Tertullign and Cyprlan thinkethey ex- prefl an iniundion and Law, wherevnto the Lord will haue all men bound that looke for mercy at his hands. And Come thinke they containe a note for vs, to bealTuredof our pardon with God, when wee find that it "lath pleafed him to to ouer rule our hearts with his Spirit and grace, as that wee haue forgiuen others whatfoeuer they had offended v s in or by. Thefe iudgementsare none of them contrarie to pietie, and therefore good kaue haue we to retaine them as wee lilt. ThirtOti4let vs know, that whatfeoeueavreshinkc of it, either as a promife made ofvsto Göd, or as á Lawe made of him tovs, most - alimony and comfort toour foules touchingourowne pa don with God, it isaclaufeìuott fitly added ofour Sauiour, and teacheth vs what we arebetter to knowe,& mollbound to perform Hi oaitical and doe.For fir[' it cutteth the mouth of a moll vile fa(hion ofthis curlèd worlds mpiuenes. namely to fay we forgiue & forget with all our hearts, fhakinghands,&prumifingf g all fauour and good v fage after, when in trueth we cary it moll quickewithin vs, and onely expert a better opportunity of fhewing it when itmay pinch in deed. Doe wee looke for fuch forgiuenes at Gods hands as is this ? If we doe not, why do wee vfe our owne mouthes again(' our felues, and befeech the Lord to powre bis vengeance vpon vs, beggingof him to forgiue vs, as we forgiue others,& wee forgiue others as I haue faid? Wherefore as in al fincerity, we delire our felues to be looked vpon with the eyes of grace and mercy from heauen without any fraud, or holownes, or difsimulation in the Lord : fo are we taught by this claufe , our felues to deale with others,fo truely,fohonef'ly, foheartily, fo hncerely, and vnfainedly forgiuing euer, as we may boldly fay, So Lord tomee, as I to others. Which that we may bee able to doe (there hearts of ours bering fo llurdicand thong in their corruption,) letvs praywith the carefullferuant ofGod and no- ble King, that wee neuer bee oft he number ofthofe which fpeake friendly to their pfal. :8.3. neighbours, whenmalice is in their hearts, hauingwordsin their mouths [robot her than Ile, SS,Zy. andyet intrseethbeeingveryfwords. And let vs remember it often as a moll wife mans laying , nay as the Lo R. DS' mightie and eternal( trueth : That her thatTro.,, diffembleth hatred with lyinglipps, and bee that innenteth flaunder is a foole. Secondly,it condemneth all lame and maymed halting, and halfe rernillion to galfefor - ourbrethren, forgiuingfometruely and willingly, butcaryinga peece vnforgi- giuenes. urn. Wee delire him to forgiuc all, and except he do it, woe to vs. For as wee haue proued before, the leali finne vnpardoned Iiriketh to hell both our bodies and foules. Wherforewealfomul l needs forgiue all to our brethren ,orelfewee cannot pray this prayer. If we doe, wee mull fearefully pray againli our felues, and forafmuch as we referue a peece of malice again(' our debtor,we befeech the Lord to referue allo apart of his wrath again(' vs, forgiuing vs but men as we for- glue others, which( Ihake to thinkeof,that euer fo dreadfully our owne tongues Ihould cry for the confuming vengeance of almighty God. Confider it there- fore euen againeand againe and as fncerely,and truely, fo fully and wholy let vs forgoe all malice againfi offenders or offences again(' vs. Thirdly ,it mot' notably teacheth the neceffity ofconcord & vnity among(' men as without which we can neuer open our mouthes to the Lord and pray this prat. ti?mGrofc er, vnlel%we will pray again a our felues. For Fide quodditas :luomododimitto, fu& to dimitte mihi. Si dimiferia, benecon$1enis vt dimittat : f non dim feris, quo modo rum congenio, vt dimittat obi? See what thou Cayel1: euen as I forgiue, fo forgiue thou mee, It then thou thy Idle forgiue, well doclthou aske to bee forgiuen : but ifnot, how doe(' thou feeke of him to forgiue thee ? Tea Sir, but as long as I cannot find in my heart to forgime mineenemy,lwillnener fay the Lords prayer, but some othergoodprayer. A notable fhiftfure to deceiue yourfelfe, but not the Lord. For god isnot moc- ked. And therfore know you that it is not the laying of the prayer that God one- ly

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