A tract of prayer by He. Clapham.

AN EXPLICA∣TION OF THE Lords Prayer.

OUr Father: Father by cre∣ation, as we were set out of thine hands in our fore-parents Adam and Heuah: but more speciallie a Father through the worke of Redemption: who as we voluntarily were cast away of the first man, hast recouered vs to thy selfe againe by the second Man, Christ Iesus his glorious obedience. Twise a Father, (by Nature, and Grace:) but we vtterly vnworthy once of the name of Children: so

great hath been our transgression, both against Nature and Grace.

As thou teachest mee not to cry My Father, as minding either my owne particuler onely: or hereti∣cally iudging better of my selfe then any others: but hast commaunded mee to cry, Our Father, as a feeling member of that Catholique Church, sparsed ouer the earth, to whom Christ Iesus is onely Head: so hereby thou callest me to ioyne with Fayth, Loue: that so my Fayth in thy pro∣mises, may declare it selfe to be true Fayth by the workes that issue there∣from: as in other thinges, so in the action of Prayer. For thou wouldst haue vs to know, that all Fayth is but dead, which worketh not by Loue: First towards the head of our Head, Christ Iesus: Secondly, towardes our fellow members, which is the corporation of true beleeuers.

Our Father, Which art in Heauen: and because in Heauen, therefore Almightie and Al-sufficient for thy children. Beeing a Father, thou art willing: and being in Heauen, thou art able to effect whatsoeuer thou willest: and thou willest onely that which shalbe good for thy chil∣dren. This we belieue; Lord helpe our vnbeliefe. And as thou specially declarest thy glory in the Heauens, (for otherwise thy Essence & Beeing is beyond all place) because there are the Spirits Angelicall; who are more capable of thy glorie: so vouchsafe ô heauenly Father, (for the sake of thy Sonne, through whom thou art be∣come our Father) to inrich our harts

nowe and for euer with diuine thoughtes, beseeming the presenting our selues before such a heauenly Fa∣ther: That so by thy grace, we may pray in Fayth: euen in that Fayth which worketh by Loue, the bond of Peace, the fulfilling of thy Law, the externall badge of thy Sonnes disciples.

Heauenly Father, thy name in propri∣etie, is thine owne selfe: and so thou art IEHOVAH, the bee∣ing of all beeings, de∣ryuing thine owne beeing from none: in which respect it is ea∣sier to say what thou art not, then what thou art: for being Infinite, thou so canst not in propri∣etie fall within the compasse of De∣finition.

But as thou first assumedst the name Creator, in respect of the Creature: so therewithall thou after a sort, didst make thy selfe Compre∣hensible, who otherwise art Incom∣prehensible: which thou secretly taughtest Moses, when (for that he was in conceipt finite) thou declardst thy self vnto him by thy Back-parts: for none can behold thy Face, and liue. And herevpon it is, that thou declarest thy selfe; first in the com∣mon Creature (for the Heauens de∣clare thy glorie, the Firmament shewes thy handie worke; and the visible creature makes seene thy in∣uisibles, as thine eternall power and Godhead:) Secondly, thou doost make thy selfe knowen by thy Writ∣ten Worde and Sacramentes: In thy Word, declaring thy selfe by that name of names, Father of our Lord Christ Iesus: sealing vp the same in the bles∣sed

Sacraments of Baptisme and our Lordes Supper.

Be it thy name essentiall or relatiue, (declaring thy Beeing, or the Diuine properties in thy Beeing) vouchsafe the Grace vnto vs, of hallowing the same: for, though earthly Powers wincke at it, thou wilt not holde him guiltlesse that takes thy name in vaine. We were first Created into thy name, and secondly haue been Baptised into the same: But we lost thy Image in the first, and haue reco∣uered in the second (by thy Grace) a new stampe thereof. Heauenly Fa∣ther, infuse thy sanctifying grace into the hartes of all thy Children, that of the abundance of such a sanctifyed hart, the mouth may speake holyly to the prayse of thy name, and the edifi∣cation of many. And so shall the pure sacrifice of Prayer and Prayse, be of∣fred vp vnto thee in all places.

That thy Name may be so hallowed, Let Thy Kingdome come. Thy King∣dome is of another nature then the worlds Kingdomes be. They be as Nebuchadnetsars Image, made of Gold, Siluer, Brasse, Iron and Clay: all which, the Corner-stone of our Saluation, (Christ Iesus) dasheth to powder; melting before his Kingdome, as Waxe before the Sunne. Thy Kingdome is Spirituall, and specially inward: and therefore to the world inuisible. This Kingdome of thine, thou dost stablish in the Body of thy Church: thy Holy Spirit taking vp the Conscience for his Throne, there gouerning the Hart of Man, by the Scepter of thy Worde. Thence thou

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neuer departest, making whatsoeuer is at enmitie with thee, thy foote∣stoole: casting downe the haughtie imaginations of men, and whatsoe∣uer is within, exalted against thee.

Lord, let this Kingdome come? this Kingdome of Light, for chasing away the powre of darknesse: this Kingdome of Grace, for dryuing euery vile Canaanite foorth of our Land. Let the strong man Sinne, be taken and bounde by Him that is stronger: and so take vs vp wholly, for thine owne Glorie.

Vnto which good purpose, vouch∣safe (ô heauenly Father) to blesse thine owne Ordinaunces Ciuill and Eccle∣siasticall. The Ciuill thou hast giuen specially for keeping the Body and Flesh of Man-kinde in due order: The Ecclesiasticke, specially for sub∣duing the Soule and Spirit. In the first, thou hast these fourtie foure

yeeres & vpward, ••endred our good, in the happie and blessed regiment of our dread Soueraigne Elizabeth, de∣puted ouer vs in all causes Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall, our supreame Gouer∣nesse. In the second, thou hast for all the time of her gracious regiment, sought our saluation, comming vnto vs early and late by the ministrie of thy Prophets: For all which, thy name be euer blessed.

Heauenly Father, vouchsafe ac∣cordingly to continue the same mer∣cie by Ciuill & Ecclesiasticke gouern∣ment, not only to vs, but also to our posteritie. Dash the Image of Romes Nebuchadnetsar a peeces. Let his vnion with Spayne, prooue but as a mixture of Iron and Clay: and his mixt Idolatrous gouernment, let it quickly be consumed. Thou who in thy Worde hast promised to stirre vp all these Kings against that Bomish

Harlot, who first subiected Crowne and dignitie therto: Lord hasten the perfecting of that promise. Through thy blessing, it hath come so to passe with vs, and some other our neigh∣bours. Lord hasten the conuersion of other Kinges, (and namely of the King of Spaine) that with a right roy∣all resolution, they may arise, and like true Christian Princes, labour to consume that harlotry Synagogue, which before hath consumed them and their Kingdomes.

Destroy the Turkish tyrannie: Let the Kingdome of thy Sonne in his Do∣minious more and more florish. Re∣moue the ceremoniall Vayle of Moses from before the eyes of thy naturall Israel. Gather into subiection all of Iewes and Gentiles, that appartaine vnto thy Kingdome: That so thy Sonne Christ Iesus may come vnto Iudgment; he may so deliuer the

Kingdome into thine handes, and so GOD may be all in all.

In the meane time, Thy Will bee done in the Earth: and that in such sort, as it is done in the Hea∣uens. The Ange∣licall Spirits in the Heauens, are fayth∣full and flightie in theyr Obedience: whereas they were created but once, retayning still their first state. And wee, besides our na∣turall creation, haue put thee to a se∣cond busines, to the re-creating of vs againe by thy Spirit and Worde: by so much the more we owe vnto thee a greater obedience; Giue vs

the grace therefore, togither with the knowledge of thy Wil, to be Doers thereof: that others so seeing our good workes, they may thereby take occasion to glorifie thee our Father which art in heauen. But when (by thy Grace) we shal haue done any part of thy Will, let vs not be destitute of that Grace, which is declared in thy Angels by couering their Face and Feete. Let vs be humble in our owne eyes, acknowledging our insufficien∣cie for contemplating thy glory: the insufficiencie of our affections for do∣ing thy Will. Let vs neuer be left to our selues, that so we shold forget the darknes of our Senses, the lamenes of our Affections. With which conside∣ratiō, giue vs not only therefore not to be idle, but also wynged & speedie executors of thy gracious Will, re∣uealed to vs from thine owne Word.

And besides the common duties of

Christianitie, vouchsafe the grace vn∣to vs, duely to consider our particu∣ler place & calling: that so the Maie∣strate may haue grace to gouerne rightly with his Sword: the Minister may be faithful in ruling by the Word: the Artificer and Trades-man may shew himselfe a true Christian in the very particulars of their vocation: that Fathers and Maisters, to children and seruants: seruants, children, and subiectes to their superiors, may all be carefull in these very places, to be faythfull doers of thy Will; as the hea∣uenly powers in their roomes, are euer prest to act thy diuine pleasure. Heauenly Father, vouchsafe vs the grace alwayes to make such holy vse of the Angels their glorious exam∣ple, that so in word and deed, we may euer glorifie thy name put vpon vs: first in Creation: secondly in Bap∣tisme: lastly in our Profession.

Vnto the (Father) it is best knowen what is necessarie for the Day: to thee there∣fore we crie: Giue vnto vs this day, our dayly-bread. If thou giue it, it shalbe good for vs, be it more or lesse, (for it is not in the quantitie, but in thy blessing) & with litle thou woul∣dest haue vs contented; in teaching vs to craue only Bread. Nor can it be so little as the best of vs deserue (for we merit not the Crummes that fall from thy Table,) ô how large then is thy mercie, who besides Bread, hast af∣foorded many other Creatures often for our Tables, with variety of Ray∣ment for our Bodyes: Yea, how great is thy mercie, seeing we may say particulerly with Dauid: Thou hast prepar'd a table before mee in the

sight of mine aduersaries: thou hast an∣noynted mine Head with Oyle, my Cup running ouer: For oft the aduersaries of Godlynes haue laboured (so much as in them was) to depriue vs of Na∣tures sustentation: but in mercie thou hast annulled their deuises, giuing vs in their very sight (to the griefe of their hartes) not onely Food, but also soueraigne delightes of Nature, and that with inundation.

Thou in mercie hauing giuen it, thou so (in Christ Iesus) hast sealed it vp for our owne. Whereby hath falne out, that in our much and little, we haue a true peace-able conscience: Otherwyse (O Lord) if we eate, drinke, and cloath'd our selues in iudgment, what better were we, though we gayned the world there∣by?

And the prouidence (ô heauenly Father) which watcheth ouer our

bodyes nouriture by this Bread, vouchsafe it may watch ouer our soules, by administring the Bread of eternall lyfe, which is the Merits of thy Sonne, offred in thy Worde, and sealed vp in the Sacramentes. That being so fedde in body and soule, we may both in body and soule cheere∣fully prayse thee.

We haue trespas∣sed against thee ô hea∣uenly Father: first, in not hauing Beliefe in thy Promises, who notwithstanding hast declared thy selfe to be not only a Father; but also, an Heauenly, al-sufficient Fa∣ther. We haue secondly sinned a∣gainst thee, in not declaring the truth of our Fayth by the wotkes of Loue

towards our fellow members. We haue thirdly trespassed against thee in taking thy name in vaine. We haue trespassed fourthly against thee in set∣ting our selues against the thinges of thy Kingdome. We haue transgressed fifthly against thee in not dooing thy will, when once it hath been reuealed vnto vs. We haue sinned against thee also in the abuse of Bread, and all other externall necessaries. Our trespasses against thee are innumera∣ble: neither are we able to answere for one sinne amongst a thousande. Good Lord therefore be mercifull vnto vs in the remission of all our sinnes: which remission, proceedeth of thine owne free Grace, sealed vp in Christ Iesus: whereto man is not able to adde one farthing by way of satisfaction.

Forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse

against vs. To whom thou sealest (by the testimonie of thy Spirit) the forgiuenes of sinne, to them thou gi∣uest a true guift (though not absolute) of willingnes to pardon the trespas∣ses of their brethren. So that by our readinesse to remit the offences of others, thou wouldst haue vs to take knowledge of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, which thou hast remitted vnto vs. And seeing thou in the first place hast been willing to passe by our Offences, compared vnto Ta∣lents: What are wee in the second place, that we should take our bro∣ther by the throate for a few Pence, (trifles vnto vs, in regarde of our debtes to thy infinite Maiestie) and so call vpon him for satisfaction to the vttermost farthing? No (ô hea∣uenly Father) doe rather vouchsafe vnto vs, a gentle, meeke, humble, and louing hart, by the which we may be

ready to loose much of our externall right for Peace sake, rather then (by seeking our owne) to kindle conten∣tion: by the which we may be wil∣ling to deale mercifully with others, euen as we would be glad to receiue mercie at thy handes.

Finally, we beseech thee, not to lead vs into tentation, but deliuer vs frō euill. It shalbe necessarie (ô Lord) that sometimes wee bee tempted in∣wardly (as were thy seruants Dauid, Iere∣mie, and others:) but in such time of tentation, sweete Father delyuer vs from euill: Giue vs (as thou didst to thy seruant Paul) a happie is••ue out of that tentation. Sometimes it shal∣be

necessare, that thou tempts vs outwardly, as thou didst Abrahā in offring his only beloued Sonne Isaac: as thou didst Iob in the losse of his Substaunce, Children, and bodyes health. Yet (Heauenly Father) wee beseech thee in such Tentation, to be mercifull vnto vs, to ridde vs from the power of the Tentation, to dely∣uer vs from Euill.

These our Petiti∣ons we offer vp one∣ly to thee: because, Thine is the king∣dome. Scepter, Go∣uernment, Regi∣ment, are all thine. As in the Churche where euery soule willingly bowes before thee, as their fatherly King: so, in swaying of euery creature,

(euen reprobate Men and Angels) causing them will they, nill they, to execute thy diuine pleasure. In the first, for the declaration of thy mercy: in the second, for the manifestation of thy exact iustice.

Nor is it any mar∣uell, seeing thine is The Power. All Power in Heauen and Earth is thine. Power of Deuils and their instrumentes, is nothing else but a sparckle of thy Power, borrowed of thee, what time thou meanest to cor∣rect thy Children, or else to iudge transgression in the reprobate. Till thou graunted such Power, Satan could not touch Iob, either in his sub∣staunce, children, or person: no, nor beeing discharged, could he enter so∣much

as into a Swine. Thou onely hast the Power to helpe vs; to thee therefore we direct our Prayers.

And this the rather, because Thine is the Glorie. Part thy Glorie with any other thou ô God) wilt not. And this is a great part of thy Glory to haue Prayer offered vp vnto thee: as bee∣ing HE, who only can search the Hart, can giue to eue∣rie one the thing is necessarie, and gaine Glory to thy selfe in all thy acti∣ons.

And this For euer and euer. And because Kingdome, Power, and Glory,

is thine always: therefore at no time to be giuen wholly, or in part, to any Angell, Saint, or other Creature, be it otherwise neuer so excellent in our eyes: of neuer so high estimate in our minde.

Amen. So it is: and, So be it (ô Fa∣ther of Heauen) for the sake of thy Sonne our onely sauiour and redee∣mer Christ Iesus. To whom, to∣gither with thee and the sanctifying Spirit, be all king∣dome, Power, and Glorie: hencefoorth and for euer: Amen.

Notes

• The first Branch of the Intro∣duction to Prayer.
• Our Father. For further expli∣cation hereof, the wise-spirited may vnder them words, relate to the first Commaundement: Thou shalt not haue other Gods before my face.
• The second branch of the Intro∣duction.
• Which art in Heauen. This may relate to the seconde Cōmundement. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe a grauen thing, nor, &c.
• The first direct Pe∣tition,
• Halowed be thy name. Hereto the third Commandement may be applyed: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine, for, &c.
• The second Petition.
• Thy King∣dome come. This casteth eye backe to the fourth Cōmaun∣dement. Re∣member thou keepe holy the Sabbaoth day, to sanctifie i••. &c.
• The third Petition.
• Thy Will be done in Earth, &c. This relateth to the fifth Com. Honor thy Father and thy Mother, that [Iààricun] they may prolong thy dayes vpon y^• earth which y^• Lo. thy GOD giues thee.
• The fourth Petition.
• Giue vs this day, our, &c. Hereto the sixt Commandemēt. Thou shalt not murther.
• The fifth Petition.
• And forgiue vs our tres∣passes, &c. Herto the breach of all the Com∣maundementes may be referred.
• The sixth Petition.
• And lead vs not into ten∣tation, but. &c. Hereto all: but specially the tenth com. Thou shalt not couet. &c.
• The Reason of offering Prayer only to GOD: The first branch.
• For thine is y^e Kingdome. Heere may be remembred the kingdome of Aegipt, from whence Israel is fetched.
• The second branch of the Reason.
• The Power. Heereby that Power whereby that Church was deliuered.
• The third Branch.
• And the Glory. Heere may be r••∣••••rdated the glorie which God gayned in ouerthrowing Aegipt in the red Sea. And all this intimated in that preface to the Com∣maundementes. Exod. 20. 2.
• The fourth branch in cōmon with the third
• The sub∣scription of Fayth.
• Amen. This may relate to Israels subscription vnto the Law. Thus the Law sent people to Prayer: and Prayer respecteth the obseruatiō of the law, and the fulfilling of all in Christ through whom God is become Our Father.