ought to praye, that God kepe and defende vs from this

synne.

This is the meanynge and plaine vnderstandynge of this petition. The name of God is of it selfe holy, but in this petition we desier, that we may also halow it, which we do, whan the worde of God is purely and sincerely taught, whan we walke and lyue accordynge to the gospel. This graunt vs O heuenly Father. For he that teacheth other doctrine, than the pure word of God, he dyshonoreth and defyleth the worde of God. Wherfore from this synne good Lorde defende vs.

Lerne these thinges dilygentlye good children, and whan you be asked, how vnderstande you this first petition? you shall aunswer. The name of God of it selfe is holy, but here we do aske, that it may be halowed of vs. And whan you be asked, how is it halowed of vs? answere, whan the worde of God is puerly and syncerelye taught, whan we leade our lyfe in this worlde holyly and godly, as it becommeth the veray true children of God. Here in this point succour vs good Lorde, helpe vs O heauenly Father. For he that either teacheth or liueth, otherwise than the worde of God requireth, he dyshonoreth and polluteth the worde of God.

The generall conclusion in all sermons of the Lordes Praier.

Thus you haue herde good children, the summe and mynd of this firste, seconde, thirde &c. peticion, kepe this in your memorye, and cease not to make your prayers vnto the Lorde, nothyng dowting but he wil heare you, and make you holy and veray godly as the true children of God without faulte, whiche haue their Father in heauen. For he hath promysed to graunt vs, what soeuer we aske in his name. And in his name we aske, when so euer we say his prayer, and vse the same forme of praier whiche he prescribed vnto vs, and commaunded vs so to praye. Therefore we ought to beleue

in our hartes, that God doth heare, for so muche as he is oure Father. For whan we giue faithe vnto hys promyses, than surelye he hearethe vs, and by our prayer we trust to obteyne that thynge which we aske and to obey and parforme such thinges as he hath commaunded, which thing God graunte vs all. Amen.

Before you herd in the first petition, how we praye in it, that God wyll graunt vs, that we may fulfill the seconde commaundemente, that is to say, that we take not the name of God in vayne, but that it maye be sanctified and honored by vs.

Nowe foloweth the seconde petition, wherin we pray, that God wil graunt vs strength to fulfyl the thyrde commaundement whyche is, reuerently to vse and to halow the sabbot day, whiche is not done, by easynge only from al outward bodely laboures, but it is chieflye done, whan we mortifye the desyers of the fleshe, dilygently heare the worde of God, and obeye the same in our hartes whiche we cannot do, without a special and synguler grace and fauoure of God. Therefore we haue nede, feruently to praye, euyn as Christe hath taught vs in this seconde petition.

Thy kyngdome come.

Rom. vii.
Phil. i.

2 Cor. v.

That you maye vnderstande these wordes rightly and iustly, take good diligent hede, that you may lerne, what that kingdome is which you do aske. The kyngedome of God (as saynt Paul saieth Rom. xiiii.) is iustice, peace and ioye, in the Holy Gost. And although these wordes paraduenture seme vnto you harde and darke, yet you shal vnderstande theym, yf you take good hede. You knowe that emperours and kinges in this world, haue their realmes and kingdomes, and those people that be within their landes and dominions, and dewly obey their lawes and commaundementes, those be their true and faithfull subiectes of their realmes. And euery kyng gyueth commaundementes vnto his subiectes, and gouerneth theim in suche wyse, that they do not, euery man what he lyst hymselfe, but what it pleaseth his prince to commaunde hym.

Euen so Almighty God hath here in earth in his church an heuenly kingdom. And this kyngdom (which Christ in his gospell so often calleth the kyngdome of heauen) begynneth among his faithful people, in this worlde. And al that truly beleue, and kepe his commaundementes, parteyne vnto thys kyngdom. And whan God by his gospel, begynneth to cal vs vnto this kyngdom, than the kyngdom of God commeth vnto vs, and begynneth in vs. For God beginneth, and in dede is the Kyng and Lorde of theim that be godly, he gouerneth and ruleth theim, so that they worke not after the lustes and desiers of their owne fleshe, but as the Lord God (who is their kyng) teacheth and commaundeth theim by his worde.

And kynges and great men in this worlde, rule and gouerne by forse, by soore threatenynges and greuous paynes, and constrayne their subiectes to obedyence (and so they ought to do, for it is the ordinaunce of God) but God doeth not order his affaires so, in this forsaid kingdom of heuen, but ruleth hys subiectes lyke a gentle fa

ther, by the word of hys gospel, and by the Holy Gost, and that after this sorte.

God causeth his ghospell to be preached vnto vs, howe Christe for our sakes suffered death, was buried and rose agayne, as before you herd in the Crede. Moreouer he openeth oure hertes, and giueth vs faith, to beleue his gospell. And to them that beleue his gospell he giueth the Holy Gost, which doth gouerne vs, and leade vs vnto all trueth.

For fyrste by faythe we be iustified before God (for fayth maketh vs partakers of the iustice of Christ, and planteth vs in Christe) and he that by true faythe, do receyue the promise of grace, to hym God gyuethe the Holye Ghoste, by whome charitie is spred abrode in our hertes, whiche perfourmethe all the commaundementes. Therfore he that beleueth in Christ, and truely beleueth the gospel, he is iust and holy before God, by the iustice of Christe, whiche is imputed and gyuen vnto him as Rom. iii. Paul saith. Ro. iii. we thynke that man is iustified by faith without workes. He is also iust before the world, because of the loue and charitie, which the Holy Gost worketh in his herte.

Secondly, faith worketh peace and quietnes in oure heartes and consciences. For by faith we be certified that our synnes be forgyuen. Therfore say the sayncte Paule to the Romanes. Beyng iustified, we haue peace Rom. iiii. and quietnesse wyth God, by oure Lorde Jesus Christ.

Thirdely, this peace bryngethe vnto vs a great and synguler ioy in our hertes and consciences, and maketh vs, for this excedyng benefite of Gods mercy and grace towarde vs, feruentely to loue hym, gladly to laude and prayse him, to honoure hys name and to professe the same before all the worlde, euermore to gyue vnto hym moste herty thankes, and to be swift and redye to do all thinges that maye please God, and to eschewe those thinges that maye displease hym.

This good children is the sayd kyngdome of God, whan by the gospell and the Holy Ghoste, God raygneth in our hartes, whan he worketh in vs our iustification, that we hauynge peace of conscyence maye haue ioy and comforte in the Holy Goste, of the abundance and plentifulnes of grace and the benefites of Christe. And this is that thinge, whiche sayncte Paule speaketh to to RoRom. xiiii. maynes. The kyngdom of God is iustice, peace and ioy, in the Holy Gost.

Psal. cx.

Nowe as an earthly kyng doeth gouerne his subiectes by his lawes and commaundementes, and by his myghte and power, so doeth God rule and gouerne his church and true faythfull people (whiche although they be here in earth, yet they be of his heuenly kyngdome) suche I saye he gouerneth by the holy worde of his gospell, and the power of the Holy Ghost (whom he powreth plentifully vpon al them that beleue the gospel) and by that comfortable worde of the ghospell he gentilly entiseth and drawethe vs vnto him, that we shuld gladly of our owne free will obey him. For God loueth not seruyce constrayned by forse, suche as slaues and bonde menne do, more for the feare then loue, but he would haue his people to serue him willyngly of hearte and loue, as Dauid said in the. cx. Psalme.

And this is the forsayde kingdome of God, whan he dothe in suche wyse raigne in vs and gouerne vs, that we do not worke after our owne wylles, but in body and mind do ceasse and rest from our owne euyl workes, and shrewed wylles, and folowe the workyng of God and the Holye Goste in vs. And this is to sanctifie the sabbot day (that is to say, to kepe an holy rest) whan we honor God with true honour, whan we heare dilygently the worde of God, when we yelde our selfes clerly to God, that his holy Spirite maye worke in vs, holy, godly and heuenly workes, that is to say, iustice, peace, comfort and other workes of the Holy Gost.