A Plain EXPOSITION OF THE LORDS-PRAYER.  
By GRINDAL WILSON, Minister in Glocestershire.  
OUR This shows we must pray for others: we are all Brothers under one Father; therefore we must pray for all. 
* Father in the Hebrew is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that wills all good, and delights to do it to his Sons.  Father, Lo, how he encourageth thee! Will not a Father hear? Three ways he is a Father; by Creation, Redemption and Regneration. May a wicked man thus pray? Yea, God is his Father by Creation, and Christ died for him: this must be an encouraging step to go higher. His wants should not hinder, but move him to ask; especially, when the things are offered. Pray he can outwardly; but what he cannot do, must not hinder him from what he can do: One Talon must be improved, as well as Five. Veryfew but have some desires after God, and Deliverance; those that fully resolve to reject Pardon and Duty, are uncapable of the Question which art in Heaven This is to move us to Reverence, Humility and Confidence. He that rules there by right of Creation in that place of unspotted Purity, seeing all the thoughts of Angels, gloriously pouring out his Mercy and Goodness, must needs be higher than the Heavens, Infinite, Eternal, Just, Merciful, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and have in himself eminently, and unconceivably all other Titles, which the Scriptures manifest. Hallowed be thy Name 
* Nomen of ●osco to know, because things are Known by Names. . Name here stands for God manifested in his Attributes, Word, and Works. Hallowed, that is, made holy. A thing may be made Holy two ways. 1st, By receiving something within itself; but we must abhor to think thus of 
* He is a pure Act of all perfection, and receiveth nothing.  God. 2dly, A thing may be made Holy by another, and that by a right knowledge of it, and a holy Disposition to Act upon, and for the sake of it, according to this knowldg 
* Sanctifiare De●est farere, quod san●tas ejus postulat. . This is Regeneration, which we desire God to work in us. The Position may dearly be understood in this form; Lord, let the Knowledge of Thee, and thy Will, and a Holy Disposition of Soul and Body to Act according to this Knowledge, upon, and for the s●ke of Thee, be wrought in us by thy Almighty Power. Thy Kingdom come, The Kingdom of God, is the sending of the Son from the begeninng ol the World, to ordain Ministers, by them to gather a Church, Rule it by his Word and Spirit, Defend and Preserve it from Enemies, cut off all that are implacable, raise us from Death, Judas Angels and Men, and at List glorify his Church, that God may be all in all. Thy will be done in Earth as it is in heaven, You may see God's Will in his Precepts. But can we do his Will as the Angels? 'tis Answered 
* Secundum 〈◊〉 non secundum gradum , According to the same kind, though not according to the same degree. I humbly add, In continued Acts, a perfect 
* The Hebrews express a thing, in facto (perfectly done) when it is fieri (a doing) Jo. 3.36.  completion may be prayed for in a particular place and time, including what God will work in us then, and there, of his rich Mercy; yet not excluding the perfection of this hereafter. In the following Petition all our earthly comforts are begged on a particular day. What is objected by Mr. Cartwright against that cause in the Liturgy (keep us this day without Sin) will here vanish. A perfect Freedom from Sin is promised; but we speed on by degrees. Give us this day our daily bread, Bread is put for all things that we need in this Life. Daily, Sufficient for the days of our Life. 'Tis said this day, that we may depend upon him, and ask for it every day. Forgive us our trespastes as we forgive them that trespass against us, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Our Sins in the Original are called Debts; because they make us Debtors to God in Obedience and Punishment. Did Paul forgive Alexander, when he said, The Lord reward him? Yea, he did not satisfy any private Revenge, Wrath, or Envy of his own, burr he prayed for God's glory, for he knew that he would implacably persist. Led us not into Temptation, but Deliver us from evil, 
* The Devil tried to know whether Christ was God, as well as to draw him to Sin.  Temptation properly signifies, A trying to find out any thing unknown; whether it is, or may be done. The means which discover this, are called Trials; which are either from God, for his Glory, man's amendment; or the discovery of man to himself, or others. This we pray not against 
* * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Jam. 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 26. 2. , but for. Here it signifies a Trial that causes Sin. Led us not, that is, suffer us not to fall into 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the form. H phillip which signifies not always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, (an affirmative) but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a negative) do not suffer. ; so the Greek word imports. God cannot tempt us to Evil; the Devil, the Flesh, and wicked Men do. But deliver us from evil. This, with the other part, makes but one Petition, and asks Affirmatively, what the other doth Negatively. Some curiously refer this to the time present, that to the time to come; but to be sure, we beg that Temptation may not draw us into Sin, that in our fall God would raise us up, never leave us, but make us Conquerors through him that loved us. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the Glory, for ever and ever, Take heart, my Brother; he 
* He that maketh Prayers, will hear Prayers.  teacheth how we may overcome him with Arguments. Will not our heavenly King be bouniful? Is not his Power Infinite? Will he suffer his excellency to be obscured? to which is due all Praise and Admiration. Amen. In this the Soul breathes out her Faith and Desire.  

A PRAYER According to the EXPOSITION.  
O Eternal and ever merciful God, thou art our Father by Creation, and to all that withstand not thy great Love, byeffectual Redemption and Regeneration. Thy Son tasted Death, and merited Grace for every man, and thou criest to the poor Sinner to come and take part in him, that thou mayest thus rejoice over him; This my Son was dead, but he is now alive again; he was lost, but now found. Where should poor Children go, but unto their Father's house? If the men of this World know how to give good gifts unto their Children; how much more will our Father which is in Heaven, give good things unto us that ask him! He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Thou art in Heaven, God over all, glorious in holiness, looking down upon all our ways, pouring out there abundantly thy Goodness and Mercies; but lo, the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee. How poor and beggarly are those glorified Cherubims, to thyself, to whom the World is nothing, yea, less than nothing? We desire therefore to draw nigh with Fear, Humility, and Reverence; and yet with a Holy Boldness and Confidence in thy Mercy. Hallowed be thy Name. Make us to know thee as thou art revealed in thy Attributes, Word and Works; to Believe, Admire, Joy, Trust, and be ravished with thee; and for the sake of thy glorious Beauty, Sweetness and Excellency; let us praise and declare thee openly, both in Word and Works, that others may glorify thee. Our Father which art in Heaven. Thy Kingdom come. Give us a saving interest in thy Son, send forth faithful Labourers into thy Harvest; carry such Stars in thy right band, bring in lost Sinners, kill Sin daily, and incrcase the Graces of thy People, make Kings Nursing Fathers to thy Church, Queen's Nursirg Mothers, and all great ones seekers of the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness; rule us by thy Word and Spirit, Defend and Preserve us from all our Enemies, cut off all that are Implacably Obstinate; take these Souls when our Bodies fall; raise us from Death; Sentence the Sheep on thy right hand, the Goats on thy left, and at last glorify Body and Soul in thy heavenly Kingdom. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. Enable us to do our Duty toward God, and our Duty towards Man; to have no other Gods but thee, to Worship thee in holy Manner, Reverence thee in thy Name, Word, and Works; remember to keep holy the Sabbath-day, to obey our Parents, the King as Supreme and all that are in Authority under him; to preserve the Life, Chastity, Goods and good Name of ourselves and Neighboured not so much as covet that which is his; and though we cannot perfect thy Will as the Angels; yet let us do it like them, Sincerely, Readily, Cheerfully, and Speedily; more and more perfect us, till we keep pace with Angels. Give us this day our daily bread. All things needful for this natural Life, Health, Strength, Peace, Prosperity, a happy Government, Food and Raiment, and thy blessing with all these, that we may use them for the good of us and others; our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of these things. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trepass against us. Our Sins fearfully cry in thine Ears; but harken to thy Sons precious Blood, which was offered up without spot to thyself; purge us with his Merits and Satisfaction, that our black Souls may be whiter than Snow. Pour out thy Mercies on our Enemies, forgive their Sins, season them with thy Grace, provide for their Bodies, wipe all Revenge and Hatred out of our hearts towards them, that we may be forgiven of thee, who hast said by thine own Son, That if we forgive not men their Trespasses, thou our heavenly Father wilt not forgive us. Led us not into Temptation, but deliver us from evil. Give us strength according to the trials which we are exercised with, or else eminently appear in our weakness, that we fall not into sin, and darken thy Glory. Let neither pleasure, our evil Hearts, Trouble, Pains, Hunger and Nakedness, neither Life, nor Death, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, things present, nor things to come, nor any other Creature, draw us from thyself, who art the very Life of all, and the true rest of our Souls. Raise us up in our falls, never leave us until we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us. For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever. Thou art our King, therefore Defend, Preserve, and do richly for thy Subjects. Thine is the Power, nothing is too hard for thee; thou art mightier than our Enemies, able to deliver us out of the depth of Misery, and bring us unto the top of Happiness, and in the end to Rivers of Joy, and never-cloying Pleasures. Thine is the Glory. This thou art tender of, what wilt thou do for thy great Name? Fill us with the Knowledge of thyself, work mightily upon our Wills, give us abundance of Grace, that we may show forth much of thy Glory, who hath called us out of Darkness into the marvellous Light. Hear us, for thou art our Kimg for ever; thine is for ever the Power, whose hand cannot be shortened; and thine is for ever the Glory: Thou art worthy of all Praise and Admiration from everlasting to everlasting. Amen. We desire, we believe, help our unbelief; which we beg, and all other things, in that Prayer which Christ hath taught us.    

London: Printed for the Author, and Sold by William Martial, at the Bible in Newgate-street. 1684.