From Catechism concerning the Lord’s Prayer (1632 10 pp.) in Twisse's A Brief Catechetical Exposition of Christian Doctrine Divided into four catechisms
by William Twisse
Question. SAY the Lord’s Prayer?
A. Our Father which art in heaven, &c.
Q. Why is it called the Lord’s Prayer?
A. Because our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ taught his Disciples thus to pray. [Luke 11. 1, 2.]
Q. Why are you taught to say, Our Father, and not my Father?
A. For two reasons.
Q. What is the first?
A. Because God is the father of us all. [Mal. 2. 10. Job 31. 15.]
Q. What is the second?
A. To teach us to pray for others, as well as for our selves. [Eph. 6. 18. Matt. 5. 44.]
Q. Which art in heaven] In what heaven doth God dwell?
A. In the third heaven, called the heaven of heavens. [2 Cor. 12. 2. 2 Chron. 6. 18.]
Q. How many heavens are there?
A. Three heavens.
Q. What is the first?
A. Where the birds of the air are.
They are called in Scripture the birds of heaven. [Gen. 1. 20. Hos. 2. 18.]
Q. What is the second?
A. Where the sun, moon, and stars are, They are called in Scripture the stars of heaven. [Gen. 1. 16, 17.]
Q. What is the third?
A. Above all, where God is. [1 Kings 8. 27, 39, 43.]
Q. Is not God every where?
A. Yes. [Ps. 139. 7, 8. 9.]
Q. Why then is he said to be in heaven?
A. For two reasons.
Q. What is the first?
A. Because he is there in most special manner.
Q. What is that special manner?
A. He doth communicate himself in glorious manner to his Saints and Angels. [Mark 10:37. Rev. 3. 12.]
God is in all creatures as the author of nature, and communicating unto them the gifts of nature: God is in special manner in his Church, as the authour of grace, and communicating unto them the gifts of grace: but in most special manner he is in heaven, as the authour of glory; and communicating the riches of his glory unto the Angels and Saints. [Acts 17. 28. Ezek. 20. 12.]
Q. What is the second?
A. To teach us that when we pray, our affectious should be in heaven.
Q. Do you believe that God is your Father?
A. Yes.
Q. And what Father?
A. An heavenly Father. [Matt. 6. 32.]
That is the best Father: for heavenly things are better than earthly things, as the light of the sun is better than the light of a candle. [Col. 3. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 19.]
Q. What lesson doth this teach us?
A. Therefore he is willing to hear us. [Luke 11. 13.]
Q. For thine is the Kingdom] say this in plainer manner?
A. The kingdom is thine.
Q. What Kingdom?
A. The kingdom over all the world. [Dan. 5. 1. (Dan.) 8. 21. Ps. 103. 19.]
Q. What is the meaning?
A. Thou art King over all the world. [Ps. 47. 7. Rom. 13. 4. 2. Chron. 20. 6.]
Q. Thine is the power] say this in plainer manner?
A. The power is thine.
Q. What Power?
A. Over all the world. [Ps. 62. 11, 12. John 19. 11. Matt. 28. 18.]
Q. What is the meaning?
A. All power belongeth to thee.
Q. Thine is the glory] say this in plainer manner?
A. The glory is thine.
Q. What is the meaning?
A. All Glory belongeth to thee. [2 Chron. 29. 11.]
Q. Do you believe that God is King over all the world?
A. Yes.
Q. And that all power belongs to him?
A. Yes.
Q. What lesson doth this teach us?
A. Therefore he is able to help us.
This is the first part of the prayer, commonly called the Invocation: And it contains the profession of our Faith in God, both touching his goodness that he is our Father, and therefore willing to hear us. And touching his power, that he is King of all the world and therefore able to help us: without this faith we cannot pray. Now followeth the petition.
Q. How many Petitions are there?
A. Six petitions.
Q. Into how many parts be they divided?
A. Into two parts.
Q. How many petitions be there in the first part?
A. Three.
Q. What do we pray for in the three first?
A. Such things as immediately concern God’s glory.
Q. What do we pray for in the three last?
A. Such things as immediately concern our own good.
Q. Say the first petition?
A. Hallowed be thy name.
Q. Say this in plainer manner?
A. We pray thee that thy name may be hallowed.
Q. What is hallowed?
A. Made holy.
Q. Is not God’s name holy already?
A. Yes.
Q. Hath it any need of our making?
A. No.
Q. What then is the meaning of the word?
A. Made known to be holy.
Q. What is the meaning of the petition?
A. We pray thee that this holy name may be made known over all the world.
Thus we see the first thing our Saviour would have us pray for, is the knowledge of God: For he well knew the want of this is the cause of all evil: And the knowledge of God is the beginning of all goodness. [1 Thess. 4. 5.]
Q. To what end doe we pray thus?
A. To this end, that knowing him to be a God that delighteth in holiness, we might thereby be moved to refer all things to the glory of his holy name. [1 Cor. 10. 11.]
Q. What is the next petition?
A. Thy kingdom come.
Q. Say this in plainer manner?
A. We pray thee, that this Kingdom may come.
Q. What is the meaning?
A. We pray thee that this word and Gospel may be preached over all the world.
Q. For in reason consider: How are the kingdoms of men planted and established?
A. By the sword. [Rom. 13. 4.]
Q. What is God’s sword?
A. His Word. [Eph. 6. 17. Heb. 4. 12. Ps. 149. 6.]
In like manner, when a King gives us laws, and we receive them; then he becometh our King, and we his people; so when God gives us laws, & we receive them, then he becomes our King, and we his people. Now his word contains his laws.
Q. How many things do we pray for in this petition?
A. For two things.
Q. What is the first?
A. That God will send faithful Pastours to preach his word. [Jer. 3. 15. Matt. 9. 38.]
Q. What is the second?
A. That God will send Christian Princes to give countenance to it. [Isa. 60.10, 16. & 49.23.]
Q. What is the next petition?
A. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Q. Say this in plainer manner?
A. We pray thee that thy will may be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Q. How are we able to do God’s will? Of our selves, without grace or no?
A. Not of our selves without grace. [John 15. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5.]
Q. What do we pray for then?
A. That God will give us grace to do his will. [Heb. 13. 21.]
Q. As it is in heaven; by whom?
A. By the Angels. [Ps. 103. 20.]
Q. Why must we pray to do God’s will, as the Angels do it?
A. Because one day we shall be like unto them in glory: Therefore we have cause to desire to be like unto them here in grace. [Luke 20. 36. 1 John 3. 3.]
Now mark how the three petitions do cohere together. 1. We prayed that God’s holy name might be known over all the world: 2. We pray that the Word and Gospel might be preached over all the world, whereby we may be brought to the knowledge of him: And thirdly we pray that God will give us grace, not only to know him, but to do his will, even as the Angels do it in heaven. And then we are happy, as our Saviour saith; If ye know these things; Happy are ye if ye do them. [Acts 26. 18. 2 Cor. 2. 14. John 13. 27.]
Q. What is the next petition?
A. Give us this day our daily bread.
Q. Why do we pray for God’s glory in the first place; and then for things which concern our good in the next?
A. Because first we must seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof; and then all other things shall be cast upon us. [Matt. 6. 33.]
Q. What is meant by bread?
A. All things needful for this life. [Deut. 8. 3. Matt. 4. 4.]
Q. What is meant by daily bread?
A. All things needful for every day.
Q. What is meant by our bread?
A. Bread gotten by a lawful vocation. [2 Thess. 3. 12.]
Q. What is meant by Give it us?
A. That we may have it as a gift from God.
Q. What is the consequent thereof?
A. That we may have God’s blessing with it. [Prov. 10. 22.]
Q. How many benefits be there of God’s blessing?
A. Three.
Q. What is the first?
A. By the blessing of God it shall satisfy our natures. [Hag. 1. 6.]
Q. What is the second?
A. By the blessing of God it shall content our minds. [Prov. 13. 15. 2 Tim. 6. 6.]
Q. What is the third?
A. Having eaten, and been refreshed, by the blessing of God, we shall use our health and strength to the service of God, and not to the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil. [Deut. 32. 15. Ezek. 16. 49.]
Q. How many things do we pray for in this petition?
A. For three things.
Q. What is the first?
A. That God will give us all things needful for this life.
Q. What is the second?
A. That God will give us his blessing with it.
Q. What is the third?
A. That God will give us grace to live in some lawful vocation.
Q. What is the next petition?
A. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.
Q. What is a trespass?
A. A sin.
Q. What is a sin?
A. The breaking of any one of God’s commandments. [1 John 3. 4.]
Q. What do we pray for in this petition?
A. For forgiveness of sins past.
Q. Doth God forgive all men their sins?
A. No. [Jas. 2. 13. Prov. 28. 13. Ps. 54. 5. John (5. 29.) Matt. 12. 32.]
Q. Whom then?
A. Such as believe and repent. [Luke 24. 47. Luke 3. 3. Acts 2. 38.]
Q. What do we pray for then in this petition?
A. That God will give us repentance, for hereby we grow to be the more assured of God’s favour in the forgiving of our sins. [2. Tim. 2. 25. Act. 5. 31. & 11. 18. Ps. 32. 5.]
Q. What is the last petition?
A. And lead us not into temptation.
Q. What is the meaning of these words?
A. But deliver us from evil.
The latter words explain the former.
Q. How many sorts of evil be there in the world?
A. Two sorts.
Q. Which are they?
A. The evil of sin, and the evil of sorrow.
Q. What evil is meant in this place?
A. The evil of sin; as appears by the word temptation.
Q. What is a temptation?
A. Every thing that tempteth us unto sinne. [Jas. 1. 14. Matt. 4. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 5.]
Q. What do we pray for in this petition?
A. That God will keep us from sins hereafter. [John 17. 15.]