The artes of logike and rethorike [sic] plainelie set foorth in the English tounge, easie to be learned and practised : togither vvith examples for the practise of the same for methode, in the gouernement of the familie, prescribed in the word of God, and for the whole in the resolution or opening of certayne partes of Scripture, according to the same.

The resolution and interpretation of the Lordes prayer, out of Mat. 6. 9. and Luke 11. 2.

OVr Sauiour Christ being both desired of his Disciples to be taught how to praye, and hauing repro∣ued the abuse of vnnecessarie and vayne repetitions of one and the same thing: giueth his Disciples comman∣dement to pray as he taught thē in this prayer: Saying praye thus, and when you praye saye, Our Father. &c. that is, let the things which you require and giue thanks for, the difference which you make of the thinges, and the affections wherewith you praye, be no other then are conteyned here. This forme or paterne, or rule of prayer hath two partes.

• The firste is, An entrance or preparation to the same.
• The second is, The prayer it selfe.

The entrance doeth conteyne such a description of God, as is meete for vs, whensoeuer we adresse our selues to prayer, to haue feeling of in our hartes. It is disposed in an Axiome or sentence copulatiue or coupling. The first reason is from the adioint of relation Our Father, which is adorned with that manner of excla∣mation which vttereth a familiar affection, as My Father, my sonne! Gen. 22. 7. So that we must in the assured feeling of faith according to the spirit of adoption and sanctification crie vnto God as our merciful father, through Iesus Christ, Rom. 8. 13. 14. 15. Gal. 4. 6. more readie then any father to graunt that wee aske according to his will, and therefore must be wayted on in request & sute, till we obteyne. Lu. 11. 5. to the 14. ver. The seconde reason is, from the subiect Which art in heauen, that is, full of all maiestie and power, Heauen the throne, or seate, or place of Gods Maiestie, and power, where this is most cleare and manifest, Psal. 113. 4. 5. And 115, 3. 16. Esa. 66. being put for the power and Maiestie it selfe, by a Metonomie, or change of name, where the place or subiect is put for the thing placed or adioint: so that, our reuerence must bringe foorth such cogitations, desires, and wordes in such manner as may become his Ma∣iestie, because he is in heauen, and we in earth, Eccle. 5. 1. In the firste is shut out infi∣delitie, doubting whether we be hearde, in patiēcie, in wayting Gods leasure. In the seconde, rashnes or multiplying wordes, thoughtes, doubting of Gods power, wandring thoughtes, and all earthlie imaginations.

The prayer it selfe hath two partes,

• The forme of request.
• The cōfirmation of it, cōtayning a thanksgiuing.

Because our requestes must be made manifest with thankesgiuing, Phil. 4. 6. And thankesgiuing for a benefit receyued doeth greatly confirme our faith in re∣questes, as Iacobs example doeth shewe, Gen. 32. 10. 11. &c. The forme of re∣questes is set downe in a copulatiue axiome, which numbreth vp sixe seuerall pe∣titions, where the bonde or couple of the axiome is left out, as the manner is

where one doeth earnestlie, and because of the earnestnes speedilie require of will a thing, as Gen. 18. 6. 7. Dan. 9. 19 And this declareth and vttereth the proper affection or feruencie of petition, which is as beggers, which feeling of our wantes by the worke of the holy Ghost to craue with vnspeakeable sighes and groninges. Rom. 8. 26. 27. Iam. 5. 16. This shutteth out, none or verie lit∣tle feeling of our wante, coldnes, and dulnes in prayer it selfe.

The petitions are of two sortes.

• The firste which beggeth concerning God on∣lie in the first place, as the place and ende of euery request sheweth.
• The secōd which require cōcerning our selues

This teacheth that first and chieflie we must desire these thinges to Gods glorie aboue our owne saluation, and that the other must be asked to that end as depending on it, and no further then as it may serue to his glorie, whiche is vndoubtedly true of our saluation, because of God his decree, Ioh. 12. 27. 28. Mat 26. 42. 2. Thes. 1. 10. Rom. 9. 1. 2.

The first sorte also is double,

• First for the right vse of Gods name.
• The second for Christes kingdome, and the fruite of it, as the Apostle willeth to pray that the word haue passage, and be glorified, 2. Thes. 3. 1.

The first is set downe in a simple axiome of the adioint hallowed, and the subiect thy name, coupled by the forme of praying or desiring, vttered by vs in the worde bee: where sanctified is a metaphore or fines of speache noting a cō∣parison taken from things dedicated to God or the Temple, and signifieth that Gods name, (one kinde being put for the whole by a Sinechdothe, the titles, which is, his name & memoriall wherby he is knowen for his works, worde, Sacramentes, and mysteries, &c.) be put a part from all prophane abuses, vn∣to the right vse prescribed in the thirde commandement. For all which see the quotations on that commandement. This is chieflie to be prayed when we see our selues or others giuen to anie abuse of Gods name.

Thy kingdome come, the second sorte hath 2. petitions: the first is disposed in a simple axiome of the subiect & adioint, that the kingdome of God whiche he exerciseth by his sonne, may daily come, that is, be set vp in glorie, fit for it: this hauing 2. partes, his administration here, by all meanes of his honor, & the last iudgemēt, vnto both these must be referred the heads of our requestes, ae pray∣ing for that which is cōmanded in the 2. com. So that when soeuer we wante any office of Pastor, Teacher, Elder, Deacons, or the right calling or execution of it, in exhortation, doctrine, watching, ecclesiasticall censure, or the order of them, or the giftes fit for them, & the power of them, we must begge them ac∣cording to the first head, Mat. 6. 33. 1. Co. 12. 6. & 5. 4 & 12. 28. Rom. 2. 6. Ephe. 4. 11. Tit. 1. 2. Cor. 10. 5. 6. Mat 9. 36. &c. In the second head we aske that all things being performed, and all enimies ouercome, Christ, the resurre∣ction, and his iudgement may come quicklie, Mat. 24. 32. and 25. 1. Cor. 15. Apo. 22. 20. The next is also disposed in an axiome simple of the adioint and subiect, that the will, that is the reuealed will of God in his worde, may be ful∣filled, Deut. 29. Which hath a declaration drawen from the comparison of the like: For as doeth not note equalitie here, but likenes, notwithstanding it bee here with great imperfections, as 1. Pet. 1. 16. 1. Ioh. 3. 3. The propoundinge proposition is, as Angells do in heauen, with peace, ioye, willingly & readilie: for by heauen is meant the Angels in heauen, as by earth the men in earth, the

place being put for those in it by a chaunge of the name of the subiect for the adioint This must be prayed when we feele any repugnancie to Gods will in the deede or maner of doing. For here we request by one all the fruites of the kingdome, righteousnes, ioye, peace, &c. Rom. 14.

The other sortes of request haue this generall, that we pray in cōmon for the whole church as members of one body, hauing one life & happines in Christ, Eph. 4. 2. 3. &c. Therfore in euery one we say, Giue vs, forgiue vs, Lead vs not. &c

They are of two sortes,

• The first concerning the things of this life, firste disper∣sed after the manner of the Scripture, as the shortest, wherein as children we clime vnto higher things.
• The other two of things of this life to come.

The first is disposed in an axiome simple of the subiect, & the adioint, God his giuing occupied in prouiding bread, saying thus: Giue vs that which is not in our power & wherof we are vnworthie, Deut. 8. 18. euen breade, that is by a Sinecdoche, all the cōmodities of this life both for necessitie and christian de∣light, Esa. 3. 1. Psal. 104. where the consequent is declared by two arguments. First the subiect ours, that is such as we in Christ be heires of, to vse, being san∣ctified by word and prayer, 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 3. 22 The second by the adioint, such as is both apte & able by his blessing to nourishe vs, seeing wee may haue money and put it in a bottomlesse pursse, and eate & not be satisfied, & drinke and yet not be refreshed, Hag. 2. For the worde signified breade to our sub∣stance, daylie, such as may giue daylie nourishment. The antecedent is declared by the adioint of the time this daye, that is one kinde of time being putt gene∣rallie for that time wherein we are, according to God his promise to aske it, as Salomon saith, The thing of the day in the day: that is, euery thinge in his time, as S. Luke expoundeth according to the day, that is, as the time requireth. For in ioye the time requireth one blessing, in affliction another, that we might hang on God euery moment, 1. Tim. 6. 6. &c. Mat. 6. 31. &c. To the other two this is generall, that there is a Sinechdoche where one kinde is put for all of that sorte, and the meanes of them, as faith and all other good graces, and the in∣strumentes begetting, nourishing, relieuing them, as preaching, exhortation, Sacramentes, corrections, &c. as they tende vnto this.

The first of these is disposed in an axiome simple of the subiect and adioint, Father remit vs our debtes. Where is an allegorie of a Metaphor, the similitude be∣ing borowed of debtes, which is drawen frō the obligation of workes, wher∣in we were bounde to continue to doo all the lawe, vnlesse we would bee ac∣cursed, Col. 2. 14. Gal. 3. 10. Nowe by remission of sinnes is meant, iustificati∣on, peace of conscience, ioye in the holy Ghost, deliuerance from the wrath to come, and all such of that kinde, Rom. 5. And this petition is when wee are troubled, terrified in conscience, and through dulnes haue not feelinge of these. This is confirmed by a reason drawen from comparison of the lesse, and is concluded in a Sillogisme connexiue or knittinge, in the firste kinde both partes being conteyned in one, the assumption in the proposition. Seeing euen we forgiue our debters, which haue not a droppe of thy infinite mercie in vs, Doo thou much more forgiue vs: for so S. Luke sheweth it should be interpreted in expresse wordes, and I see not why it should not so be translated, for the greeke phrase doth well beare it. So this is for our comfort, if wee feele this readines in vs, otherwise we can haue no assurance. Luke 11.

The seconde is disposed in the like simple axiome, adorned with a meta∣phor taken from warre, where men are leadde captiue: Leade vs not, that is, though we daily deserue it, yet seeing we haue begged the forgiuenes of sinns, giue vs not so ouer vnto the temptation of the Deuill, the worlde, or our own corruption, as that with the tēptation thou giue not an issue, 1. Cor 10. 13. 2. Cor. 12. 7. 8. 9. This is declared by the contrarie, but loose vs, that is by a Me∣taphor taken from the water pente vppe, set vs free more and more, from all that wherevnto concerning the fleshe, we are captiue, Rom. 7. 13.

The reason of the requestes is drawen from the efficient cause whiche may moue God to yeelde to our petitions, because we giue it wholy to him. The reason may be concluded in a connexiue of the firste kinde: Seeing wee giue it all vnto thee, graunt our request. But the firste we doo therefore. &c. the propo∣sition is wanting, the assumption is conteyned in an axiome copulatiue, whi∣che numbreth vp the partes, where agayne as aboue the couple is left out to note out the ioyfull and feruent feeling and melodie of the harte in heapinge vp prayse vnto God, Ephe. 5. 18. 19. Colos. 3. 16. The partes are, firste, that the kingdome, that is the ordering of all things in heauen and earth appertay∣neth to him. Secondlie, the whole power whereby they are done: Thirdlie, the whole prayse and glorie, as in the Chronicles, from whence our Sauiour tooke it, 1. Chron 29. 11. and in Iud where it is so interpreted, Iud. 25. And thus much for the partes, the propertie of the whole is noted out by AMEN, which is the force and certaintie of our faith, in the whole worke, as in a thing vnmoueable. 2. Cor. 1. 20.