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Chapter 2: Of Hope

1. What is Hope?

HOpe is a vertue infused by God, whereby wee doe with assured trust & confidence, expect at Gods hande the good of our saluation & life euerlasting.

To small purpose it is to beleeue in God, and the word of God, & to professe the diuine Doctrine of holie Church: vnlesse a Christian hauing once vnderstoode the goodnesse of Almighty God, doe conceiue hope & confidence of obtaining grace and aeternall saluation. Which hope doth so fortifie & vphold the iust man in the greatest1 miseries, that although he be destitute of all wordly helpes: yet will he confidently say:2 Al-though he kill me yet will I hope in him. And 3 in God I haue hoped, I wil not feare what fleshe may do vnto me. 4 My God I trust in thee, I will not be ashamed.

2. By what meanes may a man come to haue this hope?

FIrst of al one great helpe heerunto, is to5 pray feruently & often to almighty God. Also hope is to be nourished and stirred vp with dayly meditation of the goodnesse and benefites6 of God, those especially, which Christ our Lorde for his infinite charity towards vs, performed & promised euen to the vndeseruing. Last of all, there must be annexed7 purity & cleannes of conscience, which must euer8 shew it selfe by good workes, & inuincible patience in all aduersitye. For they that wante the testimony of a good conscience, or haue not a purpose to amend their life, they I saye, haue not that hope which they shoulde, but do rather rashlie vaunt of9 praesumption, and a very vaine and vnfruitfull confidence, how-soeuer they boaste of Gods grace and of the merites of Christ.

Hope in our Lorde sayth the10 Prophet, and do goodnesse, & againe: Be thou subiect to our Lord, and pray to him. And an other Prophet:11 Our Lord is good to those that hope in him, to the soule that seeketh him. And that this hope must not be al-together12 voyde of feare, it appeareth by this place of the psalme: Our Lord 13 is wel pleased ouer then that feare him, & in then that hope & trust in his mercy.

3. What good thinges are those which a Christian must hope for?

FIrst, and specially those good14 thinges of the Kingdome of heauen, which do make men blessed & happy, and exempteth them from all manner of miserie. Then, all such things as15 seruing for the necessarie vses of mortall men in this life, are rightly desired & prayed for at Gods hands, ought to be reputed in the number of those good thinges which are to be hoped for and expected. All which are specially expressed in our Lordes prayer, as which Christ our Lorde with his owne most sacred16 mouth deliuered, & with wonderfull wisdome prescribed to all those, that would gladly by prayer lay open their hope and good desires befote All. God.

4. What is the forme of our Lords prayer?

THis that followeth;17 Our Father which art in heauen.

  • 1 Hallowed be thy name.
  • 2 Thy Kingdome come.
  • 3 Thy will be donne, in earth, as it is in heauen.
  • 4 Giue vs this day our dayly bread.
  • 5 And forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs.
  • 6 And lead vs not into temptation.
  • 7 But deliuer vs from euill. Amen.

5. What is the summe of our Lords prayer?

THere are18 seuen petitions therin conteyned, vnto which, all manners and formes of prayers19 what-soeuer may and ought to be referred, whether we treate with al-mightie God, for the obtaining of some good things: or for the wiping away of sinne: or for the turning away of any euill whatsoeuer. And in the three first petitions, those things are in order demanded, which are properly aeternal & euerlasting: in the fower others we do aske euen temporal things, as being necessary for vs, to the getting of the aeternal.

6. What is ment by the beginning of this prayer, Our father which art, &c.

20IT is a little preface, and it putteth vs in minde of that great & inaestimable benefite, wherby God the Father, that eternall maiestie, raigning most happily in heauen, receiued vs into his fauour, & for Christ his Sonnes sake, adopted vs by the holy Ghost to be his sonnes, & heires vnto his heauenly Kingdome.

And this remembrance of so great benefites, doth not only stirr vp21 attention: but prouoke also the sonnes to render loue againe to their father and to obay him, & it doth in like maner encourage then to pray, & afford then 22 confidence to obtaine.

7. What is the sense of the first Petition, Hallowed be thy name?

VVE desire that aswell in our selues as in all others,23 that may alwaies be preferred & aduanced, which standeth most with the glory and honor of our Soueraigne and most excellent Father.

And this indeede wee doe performe, when the confession of the true faith, hope and charity, & holy couersation24 of Christian life, do shewe forth their light and force in vs, that25 others also beholding the same, may take occasion to glorifie our Father.

8. What is contained in the second Petition, Thy kingdome come?

VVE do aske that God by his grace & iustice,26 may raign in his Church, yea, & in the whole world all aduersary powers, & euill affections beeing once abandoned & rooted out.

Then we do wishe and pray, that being once called out of this world, as out of a troublesome27 pilgrimage and warfare, we may be speedily transported into the kingdome of glory, and euerlasting felicity, to raigne with Christ and his Saintes for euer.

9. What importeth the third Petition, Thy will be done?

VVE doe wishe in this petition,28 that as the Angels and blessed Saints in heauen; so we also vpon earth, though weake, and of small force, may exhibite vnto Almighty God, exacte obedience, desiring or coueting nothing so much as that we may willingly submit our selues to the will of God, both in prosperity & aduersity, & renouncing our owne wil, which is prone29 vnto euil, we may rest and settle our mindes in the30 wil of God.

10. What hath the fourth Petition, Giue vs this day our daily bread?

VVE doe like poore folkes, & beggers, craue of the author and fountaine of al goodnesse,31 those thinges that bee sufficient for the daily maintenance of our corporal life, to wit, food, & cloathing, also those thinges that doe serue to a better the life of the soule: as the32 word of God, the spiritual food of the soule; the most holy33 and B. Sacrament of the Altar, that heauenly breade: and other most holesome Sacraments and gifts of God, which doe feede, cure, and confirme the inwarde man to a wel ordered & happie kinde of life.

11. How is the fifth Petition vnderstood, Forgiue vs our trespasses?

IN this wee craue, that God will mercifully purge vs from the spot of sinne, which aboue all thinges is most foule and pestilent vnto the soule; and that he will also remitte those verie debts, which wee haue contracted by sinning.

And least our praier should not be auaileable, by reason that we are euill affected towardes our neighbour; we adde this besides, that all secret hate &34 desire of reuenge being laide aside, wee are at attonement with our neighbour, & haue forgiuen euery one that hath offended vs, euen from the bottome of our heartes. For this is that which Christ signified in an other place when he said:35 Forgiue, & yee shal be forgiuen. And againe:36 If you will not forgiue men, neither will your Father forgiue you your offences.

12. What is the sense of the sixth Petition, Lead vs not into temptation?

BEcause this present life is a very warfare vpon earth,37 whilest we are al-waies assaulted with diuers temptations, and in an hard & continuall conflict, with the world, the flesh, and the deuill: therfore, being deuoutly carefull of our owne estate, we sue for helpe at the hands of almightie God, that we do not yeeld to such assaultes of our aduersaries, and by yeelding incurr damnation; but that standing al-waies in this continuall combate, relieng vpon the mighte and hand of God, we may valiantly resiste the power of the deuill, haue the world in contempte, chastice the fleshe, and so finallye as inuincible souldiers of Christ, be crowned after the victory, for 38 no man is crowned, as witnesseth the Apostle, vnlesse he striue lawfully.

13. What is in the seuenth and last petition, deliuer vs from euill?

VVE pray at the last, that God will not suffer vs to be ouer-throwne,39 & cast away with the wicked, by the calamities of this worlde, wherwith euen the Godly also are exercised: but that by his benignitye he deliuer vs, so farre forthe as is expedient for our saluation: & mercifully defend vs from all euill both of body, and of soule, as well in this life, as in the life to come. For so hath himselfe promised:40 Call vpon me in the day of tribulation, I will deliuer thee & thou shalt honour me.

Last of al, we conclude the whole prayer with this one worde Amen,41 that we may shewe our confidence in praieng, & hope of obtaining, in regarde as well of Christes promise that neuer faileth,42 Aske, (saith he) and it shall bee giuen you: as also of the infinite clemencye and ready mercie of God the Father: in so much that hereupon, S. IHON hath sayd,43 What-soeuer wee shall aske according to his will, hee heareth vs.

14. What is the summe of our Lords prayer?

IT containethe a perfite and absolute forme not only of asking that which is good, but also of praieng to be deliuered from whatsoeuer is euill.

And amongst the things that be good, this is first to be wished and praied for, that all men may glorifie our heauenly Father, at all times & in all places: then, that we may be partakers of his Kingdome: afterwarde, that we may not want those helpes that are conuenient for the attaining vnto the same Kingdome. As is, on the behalfe of our soule, to be conformable to the will of God: and as touching our body, to haue necessary liuing & maintenance.

But those thinges that are added in the second place, & do continue to the end of the prayer, do expresse the affect of one that craueth deliuery from euils, which by the grace & power of almighty God he desireth to haue either vtterly taken away, to wit sinne the contagion of all goodnesse and the sinke and puddle of all euils: or els that they may be so tempered, that by their violence, they hinder vs not in the way to saluation. Such are, diuers temptations that inuade vs in this worlde, & all calamities both present and to come. Al other things that are to be said touching praier, shalbe reserued for that place, where the three kinds of good works shal be expownded.

Footnotes

  1. Eccli. 34, 15. Rom. 8, 35. Psal. 30, 25. Prou. 28, 1. ↩

  2. Iob. 13, 15. ↩

  3. ps. 55, 5. ↩

  4. Ps. 24, 2. ↩

    1. Thes. 5, 16. Luc. 11, 9. & 18, 1. Mat. 7, 7. Eccli. 18, 22.
    ↩

  6. Eph. 2, 4. Tit. 3, 3. Ro. 8, 29. Io. 3, 16. 1. Co. 4, 9. Heb. 10, 23. Tit. 1, 2. Ro. 5, 8.17.20. & 8, 18. ↩

  7. Pro. 15.15. 1. Io. , 21. Aug. l. 1. de doc. Chr. c. 37. & 40. & l. 3. c. 10. & in praef. Ps. 31. ↩

    1. Cor. 1, 7. Heb. 3, 6. & 10, 34. 1. Io. 3, 3. Col. 1, 21. 2. Pet. 1, 10.
    ↩
    1. Pet. 2, 18. Eccli. 5, 4.6. Greg. 33. mor. c. 15.
    ↩

  10. Ps. 36, 3. ↩

  11. Thren. 3, 25. ↩

  12. Greg. l. 6. ep. 22. ad Gregorian. Ber. de Fest. Magdal. ↩

  13. Ps. 146.11. ↩

  14. Tit. 2, 13. & 3, 7. ↩

  15. Heb. 4, 16, Aug. in Enc. cap. 114. ↩

  16. Mat. 6, 9. Luc. 11, 2. ↩

  17. The Pater noster is expounded, by these. Tert. & Nysen. l. de ora. Cypr. ser. 6. de or. Dom. Cyr. cat. mys 5. Chry. ho. de or. Dom. & in. cap. 6. Mat. Hieron. Theop. Eut. in Mat. Ambr. lib. 5. de Sacr. cap. 4. Aug. ep. 121. ad Probam. c. 11. & l. 2. de ser. Do. c. 4. & seq. & ho. 42. ex 50. & ser. 126. 135. 182. de temp. & ser. 9. ex diu. Chrysol. ser. 67. & seq. Innoc. 3. lib. de Myst. Missae c. 17. & seq. Petrus Laod. German. Patriarcha Const. Cassia. coll. 9. c. 18. & sequ. ↩

  18. Aug. in Ench. c. 115 &. l. 2. de ser. Dom. c. 10. ↩

  19. Aug. ep. 121. ad Probam. c. 12. ↩

  20. Ex. 15, 11. Esa. 42, 5. & 63, 15. Mal. 1, 6. 2. Cor. 1, 3. Phil. 4, 20. Ap. 4, 10. Ro. 8, 15. Gal. 4, 5. 1. Pet. 3, 22. Leo. ser. 6. nat. Do. ↩

  21. Cypr. in ser. de or. do ↩

  22. Luc. 11, 11. Iac. 1, 6. ↩

  23. Mat. 5, 17. 1. Pet. 2, 12. & 4, 11. 1. Cor. 10, 31. Col. 3, 17. Ro. 15, 6. Eccli. 36, 1. ↩

  24. Luc. 1, 72. 1. Pet. 1, 15. & 3, 16. Phil. 2, 15. ↩

  25. Mat. 5. 17. ↩

  26. Mat. 6, 33. Ro. 14, 17. Ps. 22, 1. & 79, 2. Luc. 1, 33. & 17, 20. 1. Cor. 3, 16 & 4, 20. Eph. 1, 18.23. Mat. 13, 41 1. Co. 15, 24 Col. 1.13. Ps. 67, 2. ↩

  27. Phil. 1, 23. Heb. 11, 13. 1. Pet. 2, 11. Iob. 7, 1. 2. Cor 5, 6. Sap. 5, 16. Apoc. 22, 4. Mat. 8, 11. ↩

  28. Ps. 102, 20. Ro. 1, 10. Act. 9, 6. & 21, 14. Deut. 12, 8 Heb. 13, 21. Ic. 4, 15. Luc. 22, 42. 1. Pet. 4, 2, Act. 5, 29. Iob. 1, 21. 1. Pet. 5, 6. ↩

  29. Gen. 8, 21. Mat. 26, 41 Bern. ser. 3. de resur. ↩

  30. Io. 4, 34 & 5, 30. & 6, 38. 1. Reg. 3, 18. ↩

  31. Iac. 1, 5.17. Psal. 39, 18. Deut. 10, 18 Gen. 28, 20. 1 Tim. 6, 8. Pro. 30, 8. Ps. 144, 15. ↩

  32. Mat. 4, 4. Am. 8, 11. Eccli. 15, 3. Pro. 9, 5. ↩

  33. Mat. 26.26. & 6, 11 Io. 6, 51. Hier. in c. 6. Mat. Cypr. in ser. de cr. Do. Amb. l. 5. de Sacr. c. 4. Aug. l. 2. de ser. Do. in mont. c. 7. Thren. 4, 8. 1. Cor. 10, 6 Leu. 26, 14. Num. 5, 6. 20. Exo. 32, 27. Luc. 7, 47. Tob. 12, 10. Sap. 16, 14. Ps. 50, 3.4.9.11. ↩

  34. Ro. 12, 17.19. Col. 3, 12. Luc. 23, 34. Act. 7, 60 Mar. 11, 25. Eph. 4, 32. ↩

  35. Lu. 6, 37. ↩

  36. Mat. 6, 14. & 18, 22 33. Eccli. 22, 1. Aug. in Enc cap. 74. ↩

  37. Iob. 7, 1. Iudith. 8, 2 Tob. 3, 21. & 12, 13. Mat. 4, 1. & 26, 41. Heb. 2, 18. 2. Thes. 3, 3. 1. Io. 2, 14, 16. & 5, 4. Mat. 16, 24. 1 Cor. 9, 25.27. & 10, 12. Iac. 4, 4. & 1, 12. 1. Pet. 5, 8.10 2. Pet. 2, 9. Eph. 6, 11. Col. 3, 5. Apoc. 2, 7.10.11.17.26 2. Tim. 4, 7. ↩

    1. Tim. 2, 3.
    ↩

  39. . Reg. 8, 33. Pro. 10, 25.28.30. Eccli. 23.4. Hier. 2, 14. Tob. 1, 22. & 2, 10. Eccli. 27, 1.4.6. Ap. 3, 10. Ps. 24, 15. & 30, 3.5.8.9.16. & 33, 5.7.8.18. ↩

  40. Ps. 49, 15 ↩

    1. Cor. 1, 20 Amb. in Ps. 40. Hier. in. c. 6. Mat.
    ↩

  42. Mat. 7, 7. Luc. 11, 9. Io. 16, 23. ↩

    1. Io. 5, 14.
    ↩

Chapter 6 of 36