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That the Lords Prayer contai∣neth all those things which wee are to hope for, and to desire of God.
OVt of the Confession of faith which is briefly comprized in the Creede and which, being imperfectly vnderstood, is milke
for babes, but more fully and spi∣ritually conceiued, & expressed, is meate for stronge men, sprin∣geth and groweth that good and happy hope of the faithful, which is alwayes accompanied with holy loue. But, among all those things which the faithfull must beleeue, they onely appertaine vnto hope, which are contained in the Lords prayer. For, cursed is euery one, as the Diuine ora∣cles doe testifie, which putteth his trust in man: & so euerie one is wrapped vp in this curse, which putteth his trust in himself. Wher∣fore we must not seeke but at the hands of our Lord God, any thing which wee hope we shall well performe, or for which well performed, wee looke for any prayse or reward.
That the Lords prayer consisteth of seauen petitions: and what the meaning and scope of them is.
VVHerefore the Lords prayer, as it is deliue∣red by Mathewe the Euangelist, seemeth to containe seauen petitions: in three of the which wee aske for things eter∣nal; in the other fower for things temporall: which yet notwith∣standing are necessary for the at∣taining of things eternall. For, whereas we say, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy wilbe done, in earth as it is in heauen, which some men haue not vnfitly vnderstood, that Gods wil should be done both in our spirit and in our body, all these things are such as must be cōtinued for euer; &, being here begun, by dayly pro∣ceeding are increased in vs: which
being perfected, which thing wee hope shall bee performed in the other life, wee shall possesse and inioy them for euer. But where wee say, Giue vs this day our dayly bread, and forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs, and leade vs not into temption, but deliuer vs from euill; who doth not see, that al these things respect the wants and necessities of this present life. In that euerlasting life therefore in which wee hope to liue for e∣uer, the sanctisication of Gods name, his kingdome, and the fulfilling of his will, shal remaine euerlastingly in great perfection in our spirit, and in our bodies. But the bread which we aske, is therefore called dayly bread be∣cause in the state of this life it is necessarie; being a supply of the want, either of soule, or body, whether wee vnderstand thereby, either carnall, or spirituall food, or both. Heere is vse of that re∣mission of sinnes, which we de∣sire;
Because heere those sinnes bee committed, the remission whereof wee pray for. Heere are those temptations which al∣lure and drawe vs vnto sinne. To conclude, Here is that euill, from which we desire to be deliuered. But there, that is to say in hea∣uen, and the state of the other life, there is none of these things.
That the Euangelistes, Mathewe and Luke, doe differ in setting downe the petitions of the Lords Prayer.
LVke the Euangelist compre∣hendeth in the Lords pray∣er, not seauen, but fiue petitions, and yet doth not hee farre from Mathewe: but, by expressing thē more briefly, put vs in mind, how those seauen are to bee vn∣derstood. For, the name of God is hallowed in spirit. But
his kingdome shall come when the flesh shall rise againe. Luke therefore shewing that the third petition is in some sort a repeti∣tion; by omitting it, makes vs the better to vnderstand it. Thē doth hee adde the other three concer∣ning dayly bread, the remission of sinnes, the auoyding of temp∣tation. But, wheras hee addeth in the first place, But deliuer vs from euill, this Euangelist hath it not: That therby we might vn∣derstand, that it pertaineth to that which formerly was expre∣ssed concerning temptation. For, therefore it is hee sayth, But de∣liuer vs; and not, And deliuer vs, Thereby shewing vs that they are but one petition. For he saith Let not this be, that wee bee led into temptation, but deliuer; That euerle one may knowe he is deliuered from euill, in that he is not led into temptation.