¥H^ ■O; r' ,i tut mohsknt ^ O PRINCETON, N. J. ay our daily Bread, DISCOURSE VII. forgive us our Debts, ^c explained. Matth. vi. ix, 14, 15'. And forgive us our 'Debts, as we forgive our Debtors, For if je forgive Men their Trefpajfes^ j^our heavenly Father will alfo forgive you. But if ye forgive not Men their Trejpaf- fes, neither will your Father forgive your Treffajfes. p. 131^ The Contents. DISCOURSE VIIL Lead us liot into Temptation, but, (Sc explain^. , . Matth. vi. 13. ^nd lead us not into Temptation ^ but deliver us from EviL p. ^S9' DISCOURSE IX. For thine is the Kingdom, ?^f 1 expIainU Matth. vi. 13. -"/.' For thine Is the Kingdom , and the ^ower , and the Glory, for ever. Amen. 0; -\\-' ^' p. 289. THE PEIITL \ THEOLOGiai-.I.>" 'W^^^^^^' THE DESIGN, Matter, and Form O F T H E Lords Prayer. B3 \ DISCOURSE I. The Dcfign, Matter ^nd Form, of the Lord's Prayer, Matth. vi. 9. Jfter this Manner therefore pray "^e : Our Father which art in Hea-^ verij Sec, m & S^^^^l ielves in our AddrelTes to God> and againft ekeing out our Prayers to God B4 with 8 Tloe Defign^ Matter^ and with vain Repetitions and much Speaking, as if we thought either that God was pleas'd with a Multitude of Words, or that he did not, nor could, underftand our Needs, unlefs we were very copious and particular in declaring them; continues his Difcourfe concerning Prayer (till far- ther in the Text and following Verfes, by prescribing a Form of Words very proper to be uied as a Prayer to God; and to W'hich alio, as ro a Pattern, we ought to have Regard in all the other Prayers which we make to him. And this is what we commonly call The Lord's Trayer. Our Father iihich art in Heaven ; hall(hsjed be thy Name^ &c. But before I come to treat of the Pray- er itfelf, I think it may be proper to pre- juife fomc Things. Here therefore I fliall difcourfe fome- what, I. Concerning the Occafion of our Lord's didlating this Prayer to his Difci- pies. II. Con- Form of the Lord's Prayer. II. Concerning the general T>efign of it, III. Concerning the Matter of it. And, IV. Concerning the Frame and Com^o- fure of it. I. Concerning the Occafion of our Lord's didlating and prefcribing this Prayer to his Difciples. And here we may obferve, that this very fame Prayer, with only fome fmall Variation, is recorded by two of the Evan- gelifts^ St. Matthew and St. Luke ; by St. Matthew here, and by St. Luke in the xi'^' Chapter of his Golpel, at the i^ and following Verfes. And, according to the Account which thefe Evangelijis give of it, it feems to have been dictated by our Lord upon two very different Occafions. For here, in St. Matthew^ this Prayer is brought in as a Part of that one conti- nued Dilcourfe of our Lord, called his Sermon upon the Mounts which takes up three whole Chapters, and feems to be deliver'd at once, without any Break or Interruption ; and in which our Saviour iias compriz'd the whole Sum and Sub- Itance lo The Defigriy Matter^ and (lance of the pradical Part of the Chri- flian Religion. And what fcems here to have given Occafion to his prcfcribing this Form or Pattern of Prayer, was the Cau- tion which he had juft before given his Difciples to avoid that affedted Prolixity in Prayer, which the Heathens were re- markable for, who feem to have thought that they jhotild be heard for their much fpeaking. The Vaniry whereof, when he bad ihewed at the 8''^' Veife, by the Con- fideration of the Goodnefs and Knowledge of God; your Father knoiz'eth i:^hat things ye have need of before ye ask him ; he then, as a farther ProviGon and Secu- rity agai;ift chat Fault, dictates to them this fliort, but comprehenfive Prayer, as a Pattern, according to which, if they were but always careful to form their own Prayers, they would be lure not to iall into it. For this Connexion of rhefe Words with the foregoing is imply 'd in the Word therefore : be not ye like unto the Hea- thens^ who ufe vain Repetitions in their Prayers, and think they Jhall be heard for their much freaking : For y^'r^r Far tha: Form of the Lord's Prayer. 1 1 tber knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him. After this Manner therefore fray ye ; Our Father which art in Heaven^ &c. /. e. be your Prayers ihort, full and concife, as this is. But in the xi'^' Chapter of St. Luke., where we meet again with this Prayer, it is not brought in as a Part of the Sermon upon the Mount ; (for that., if it be any where at all recorded by St. Luke., is in the vi'^' Chapter of his Golpel; where, indeed, we meet with many Paflages, a- greeing not only in Senfe, but in Words and ExpreiTions too^ with feveral PafTages in this Sermon ; but neither is there any Mention made there of this Prayer) nor is it any where elfe recorded by St. Luke as a Part of any other {^x. and continued Difcourfe of our Saviour. Bur the Occa- fion of our Lord's then didating this Prayer to his Difciples, is at the i^' Verfe of that xi'^' Chapter of St. Luke^ expreilly noted to have been this: It came to pafs, that as he was fraying in a certain TlacCy when he ceafed, one of his T>ifciflesfiiid unto him\ Lord teach us to fray., as John 12 TheDeftgn^ Matter^ and John alfo taught his "D'tfciples, And then it follows, f^, x. And he faid unto them ; when ye pray^ fayy Ottr Father which art in Heaven^ &c. Here then are two clearly different Oc- cafions, noted by rhele two Evangelijis^ of our Lord's didatingthis Prayer. Once he did it of his own Motion; and the o- ther time he did it at the Requefl of one of his Diiciples : once he did it as he was Preaching, and, as it leems too, in the middle of his Sermon ; and the other time lie did it as he was praying, I mean, im- mediately after he had finiflied his ow^n Prayer;, one of his Difciples taking Oc- cafion from thence to defire him to teach them alfo how to pray. And laftly, once he did it at the Beginning of his Miniftry ; for 'tis here recorded by St. Matthew^ as a Part of the firft Ser- mon that he made after he had called to himlelf fome Diiciples : and the other time he Icems to have done it in the mid- ,dle of his Miniftry ; (probably in the fe- cond, or perhaps in the third. Year of his Preaching) for there are many things re- corded Form of the Lords Prayer 4 X3 corded by St. Luke^ as Ipoken and done by him before this. So that however we can't be certain of the exad: time, or times, when our Lord did dictate this Prayer , (becaufe the Or- der of Time is not always nicely obferv'd by the Evangelijis ; for many times what one relates as done before, another relates as done afterwards ; ) yet thus much, at leaft, feems very clear from what has been already faid ; that, this very fame Prayer (at leaft fb far as 'tis the fame in both the Evangelijis^) was didated by our Lord to his Difciples more than once. And from hence we may reafonably infer, both the abfolute Perfedion of this Form of Prayer, and alfo our ftrid: Obligation both to ufe the lame as a Prayer, and alfo to compofe whatever o- ther Prayers we make according to this Pattern. And this leads me to the next thing which I propounded to difcourle fome- what of, viz,. IL The 14 The Deftgn^ Matter^ and II. The general T>efign of our Lord's teaching his Difciples this Prayer. And that feems to be twofold. I. He feems to have defign'd it as a Tattern of Prayer, according to which they fliould compofe their own Prayers^ {o as to avoid needlcft Prolixity ; and {q^ alfo, as to prefent their Requefts to God in the mod grave, moft ealy, moft fami- liar, and moft devout Expreflions. After this manlier fray ye^ fays our Saviour in the Text ; pray after this manner ; that is , let your Prayers to God be always luch as this is; for Subftance the fame^ for Compofure like to this which I now dictate to you. And thus our Lord's Difciples feem at firft to have underftood him ; viz, as on- ly giving them a Pattern of Prayer , not as prefcribing to them the Ufe of this par- ticular Form. But that he had a farther Defign in it, is evident, viz. i.To Form of the Lord's Prayer^. t y 1. To fupply them alfo with a Form of Prayer ready made for their Ufe. For it was cuftomary, it feems, for the 2)^- ^ors among the^^i^'j-to compofe Prayers for the Ufe of their Scholars, as well as to inftrud: them in the A(5l of praying. St. Jo/m Ba^tiji^ it feems, had done this; which made the Difciple in St. Luke to defire of our Lord, that he alfb would be picafcd to compofe a Form of Prayer for their Ufe; Lordy fays he, teach ms to fray ^ as John alfo taught his "D'tfci- pies. In Anfvver to which, therefore, our Lord there prefcribes to them, to ufe as a Prayer thole very Words, which he had, once at leafl, before dictated to them as a Pattern of Prayer. IVhen ye fray^ fay , Our Father vjhich art in Hea- veUj Sec. i. e. this, which I have former- ly let before you as a Pattern, I now pre- fcribe to you as a Form of Prayer, both very proper to be us'd by it felf, and like- wife to be added by you to your other Prayers, to fiipply the Defcdts thereof Not that I mean hereby to reftrain you to 1 6 ' The Defigny Matter ^ and to this Form only, or to forbid you to put up other Prayers to God, as you Ihall have Occafion, and as your Needs lliall require; but what I mean, is, that you fhould , fometimes at leaft , put up your Petitions to God in thofe very Words, which, having formerly di6tated to you as a Pattern , I do now again repeat to you as a good Form of Prayer. When ye fray^ fay^ Our Father which art in Hea. veny 8cc. And what we may very naturally, and very ftrongly too, infer from hence, is this ; that it is not unlawful to pray to God by a fet Form. I might infer more 'viz. that it is ordinarily be ft that wq ihould do {o. This, I fay, is what might fairly be argu'd from our Saviour's fo rea- dily anfvvering the Requeft of his Difci- pies, by reaching them a Form of Prayer, and not rather giving them fome Check for making fuch a Requeft. But that it is not unlawful to ufe a Form of Prayer is all that I mean at prefent to contend for ; and that moft evidently follows from what has been faid. For our Lord, who knew Fh'-m of the Lord's Prayer. 1 7 knew beft what Petitions were moll pro- per to be put up to God, knew alfo ia what manner they were mod proper to be offered up ; and \? he had known that a fet Form of Words in Prayer was nor plea- fing to God, he would not certainly have prelcrib'd any kt Form of Prayer to be ufed by his own Dilciples: which yet is what he plainly does in that Place of St. Luke^ when ye pray ^ fay^ Ot^r Father "which art in Heaven^ &c. And this alone (if there were nothing elfe to be faid) is abundantly fufficicht to jufcify our Church, in ordering a fet Form of Prayer to be ufed at our publick Wor- fliip in the Church ; and to ihew hoxV'un- realonable and unwarrantable the Separa- tion of the Difleniers from the Church is upon this Account. They will nor join with us in Prayer, Hecaufe we ufe a Form of Prayer ; becaule we pray by a fet Form : but w^ould they then have join'd with tho Apoftles of our Lord himfelf, in their trayers, if they had lived in thole tirftes? No ; they who now feparate from us up- Ofi" this Account only (i, e, not for any C jdft 1 8 The Defv^/i^ Matter^ and juft Exception which they have to make againft either the Matter or the Compo- (iire of our Prayers, but only becaufe we ufe a fet Form of Prayer : they , I fay, who feparate from us now only upon this Account,) mull alfo, if they had lived in the primitive Times of Chriftianity, have feparated from the Apoftles themfelves up- on the fame Account ^ for they alfo ufed a let Form of Prayer •, they prayed by a Form, as we do. And if it be asked how I prove this? I prove it, I think^ very plainly from that Paflage in St. Luke before-cited, 'Luke xi. I, X. One of his T>ifciples faid unto hirn^ Lord^ teach us to pray^ as John al- fo taught hisT>tfciples. The thing v^hich this Difciple here defired of Chrift plainly was, that be would teach them a Form of "Trayer^ for that was vjhztjohn had done for his Difciples. And this their Defire he immediately comply'd with ; he taught them a Prayer , as John had done ; he faid^ when ye pray J fay^ OurFather^dcc, Now, therefore, if the Apoftles of our . Lord did not afterwards ufe this Prayer, ox Form of the Lord's Prayer, 1 9 or pray in thefe Words , as he had com- manded them , they difobeyed his Com- mand, which I prefume our DifTenters will not affirm ; (tho', by the way, if indeed they were thu«; difobedient, that would not fcrve to juftify us in the like Difbbe- dience ; be ye Followers of me^ lays St. ^aul^ even as I alfo am of Chrift. The Example of another , even tho' it be of an Apoftle, is no farther to be folio w'd than it is agreeable to this Rule. But that the Pradice of the Apoftles in this Cafe was not according to our Saviour's^ Di- redtion, is not to be (uppos'd;) and if they did obey this Command of our Savi- our y and did fometimes pray in ''hele Words which our Lord had prefcribed to them ; whenever they did fo, they prayed by a Form. And therefore our DifTenters, if thev had lived then, mud for this Rea- fon have refuied to join in Prayer with them ; they mull then have let up fepa- rate Congregations, diftind: from thofe re- ligious AlFemblies which were held by the Apoftles; they muft have faid that it was C 2 necefTary 20 The De/ign^ Matter^ and ncccfTary to pray to God after a better manner than the Apoftles did. Judge you then, I pray, for your felves ; but fo judge, as confidering that you iiiuft hereafter give a ftrid Account to bod the Judge of all ; (judge you, I fay,) whether that can be a good Ground of feparating from the Church, or making a Schifin and Divifion in it, which was, and if you had lived then muft have been to you, as good a Ground of forfaking the Feliowfhip of the holy Apoftles, as it is now of withdrawing your felves from the Communion of the eftabhfli'd Church. 1 know not what new Light our Dilten- ters pretend to, when they declaim againft Forms of Prayer, as dull, and formal, and unacceptable to God ; but fure I am, it is not a true Light which direcSts them to a- hother way than our Saviour directed Men to take ; for he (as the Apjile Sc, John tells us, John i. 9. he) was the true Light which Ughteth every Man that Cometh into the World \ and he di- red:ed Men, v/hen they prayed, x.o ule this Form of Words, to fay, Onr Father ^ which Form of the Lord's Prayer. 21 which art hi Heaven^ 8cc. Are they then wifer than the Apoftles, who ufed a Form of Prayer ? Nay , are they wifer than our Lord himfelf (the JVifdom of God the Father ) who prefcribed a Form of Prayer to his Difciples ? If they are not, then a Form of Prayer is, at lead, lawful; and then to feparare from the e- ftabliflf d Church, only becaufe llie ufes a Form in her pubHck Woriliip, is a finfal and fchilmatical Separation. But if they iliould fay, that in this refpedt they do imderftand more than the Apoftles did) and that they know better what will pleafe God than our Saviour himfelf did : and indeed fome of them (unlefs they are grie- vouflybely'd,) have not fcrupled to fpeak to this EtFed:; I mean, to fay that this Prayer, tho' didated by our Lord himfelf, is yet nothing near fo good an one as are the Prayers which they make every Day ; and that, tho' it might be of fome Uie to thofe for whom it was made , who were then but young Difciples of Chrijf^ and, as themfelves own'd, wanted to be taughf how to pray ; yet 'tis not fit to be now ^ C 3 . ufe4 2 z 'The Defl^n, Matter^ and uied as a Piayer by Perlons of luch exalt- ed Underftandings, and fo full of the Spi- rit as they are. I hope the notorious Blafphemy of luch Exprelfions will be a fufficient Caution to you to give no Heed or Credit to them who utter them : for to all fuch conceited Perfons, Tm fure, we may truly apply thefe Words of the Apo- Jtkj Rom, i. x%, Trofejjing themfelves to he wife-, they became Fools. But what is there, after all, that thefe Men do objedl: againfl: a fet Form of Pray- er ? What Reafons do they give why they iray not join in ii ? Why, i. They fay, that a Form of Prayer can't be fnited to allOccafions. x. That the Ufe of a Form is a Stinting oithe Spirit. And, 3 . That 'tis contrary to that praying by the Spirit which is mofl: pleafing to God, I ihall therefore now briefly confider the V/cight of thefe Objedions againfl: the Ufe of a let Form of Prayer ; tho' indeed I think, that after what has been already faid to jufl:ify the Ufe of it from our Sa^ viour's prelcribing this Form of Prayer to bis Dilciples, more Words upon this Oc- cafion Form of the Lord's Prayer. 2 3 cafion muft be needlefs. I will not there- fore ufe many. I. Then, they fay that a Form of Prayer can't be fiiited to all Occafions. Very true ; but what then ? Is it there- fore unlawful, upon any Occafion, to ufe a Form of Prayer that is well-fuited to that particular Occafion? Mayn't I, for In- ftance, in a Time of Peftilence, ufe a Form of Prayer which is well-fuited to a Time of Peftilence, becaufe the fame Form will not fuit fo well a Time of Famine ? Or becaufe, perhaps, the Church, which pro- vided a proper Form for one of thefe Oc- cafions, did not do the fame for both of them ? Again ; fuppofing that neither our Li- turgy, nor any other Form of Prayer which is already made, is fuiced to all the Occa- fions which may be hereafter ; yet what does this prove ? Docs this prove in ge- neral the Unlawfulnefs of praying by a Form ? No ; all that it proves is, that that particular For^pi, being not fo perfed as it C 4 might ^ -_ The Deft^^riy Matter^ and might be, is capable of Amendments and Improvements. Nay, fuppofing it not poffible that any Liturgy flioiiid be fo contrived by the Wit of Man, as to provide for all Occa« fions beforehand ; yet what hinders, but that when any fuch new, and before un- provided for, Occafion happens, a new Form of Prayer may be made which may beiiiited to'that? So that, as this does not at all alTed: the main Queftion, ^iz,, whe- ther it be law^ful to pray by a Form ; lb neither is it any Objeftion againft Litur- gies, or Forms of Prayer in general : for there is no Occafion which can ever hap- pen, but what may be fuited as well by a Form of Prayer to be made upon that Occafion, as by a Prayer fpckeh extern- fore\ becaufe, whatever may be fj:>oken once, may be fpoken a fecond, or a third Ume ; and whatever may be Ipoken, may be written down acd read ; and when it is fpoken a fecond or a third time, or w^hen *tis written down and read, then they call it a Form; But be it fo ; yet, if it fuitod ihc Occafion the firft time it was fpokenj ■- it Form of the Lo? d's Prayer. i j it will iuit the fame Occafion as well when it has been fpoken or read an hundred times. So that this Objection againft a Form of Prayer in general, is manifeftly nothing but a mere Cavil. But if what they mean by it. Is only in particular, that the Prayers of the Church, now contained and prefcrib'd in the Li- turgy, do not adually extend to all the Occafions which we may poffibly have. This may be granted without any Incon- venience, the Anfwer to it being very eafy, viz,. That lb neither can any Prayer that is fpoken by any Man extempore^ extend to all Occafions, and exprefs all the Re- quefts which every Perfon in the Congrega- tion may have to pur up to God. In this Refped, therefore, any Prayer which can be made is plainly as deficient as the pub- ]ick Prayers of the Church are. But the Truth is^ that the Prayers of the Church are not (nor indeed are any public k Prayers) to be thought deficient upon this Account ; efpecially confidering, that tho' the Church prcfcribes a Form to '^t' '''■ " be 2(5 The Defign^ Matter ^ and be ordinarily afed in our publick Devo- tions, (and which is indeed as well fuited to all the common Occafions of the Church, and of all the Members of it, as any pub- lick Form can be ;) yet flie does not there- by abridge her own Power to compofe and enjoin occafional Forms of Devotion upon Ipecial Emergencies. And again, tho' flie enjoins the Ufc of the Liturgy in the Church, and forbids any other common Prayers ; (that being indeed as well fuited to all the common Occafions of the Church, and of all the Members of it, as 'tis fit any Office of publick Prayer fliould be;) yet flie does not thereby mean to forbid her Children, when they have, any of them, any particular Sins to confefs, any particular Bleffings to give Thanks for, or any particular Requefts to make known to God ; to ule any other Prayers of their own, or another's compofing, which may be better a(^apted to fiich Ijpecial Occafi- ons than the publick Prayers are, or in- deed than a publick Liturgy fliould be. But then the proper Time and Place for fuch Form of the Lord's Prayer. zj luch Devotions i$, when we are alone and in fecret. But, 2^. Another thing objeded againft a let Form of Prayer, is^ that 'tis a flinting of the Spirit. But here it muft be noted, that, when we Ipeak of (et Forms , we mean only Forms of Prayer for publick Worfhip ; it being before granted, that in our private Devotions every Perfon is at his Liberty to pray, either by a Form or nor, as fliall ieem to himfelf moft expedient. How then, I fay, is a publick Form of Prayer, to be ufed in the Church, a ftinr- ing of the Spirit ? Or whofe Spirit does it Hint ? The Spirit of the Speaker ? Or the Spirit of the Hearers ? Or the Spirit ofG^^? (i.) Does it dint the Spirit of the Sfea- ker ? That indeed muft be granted. But then, I fay, that there is no Harm in this; nay, I fay more, there's a great deal of Good in it. For this was indeed the ve- ry Defign of the Church , in compofing and 1 8 The Defign^ Matter^ and prefcribing a Form of Prayer for the pub- lick Worfiiip, that the Spirit of thofewho pray in publick> and who are the Mouth of the Congregation to God, might be re- ftrain^d and Hmited ; that is , that in the pubhck Worlliip, which ought always to be grave, folemn, and ferious, the Spea- ker might not run out in vain Repetiti- ons, and idle Tautologies ; that he might not utter any ExpreiTions which are inde- cent or extravagant, and more likely to excite Laughter in the Hearers, than to ftir up true Devotion ; which they who allow themfelves the Liberty of praying extem])ore^ in the publick Congregation, are very apt to do. So that if this be in- deed a Hinting of the Spirit, 'tis not how- ever a good and devout Spirit which is thereby flintcd ; for there is nothing more apt to excite and keep up true Devotion in the Minds of the Congregation, than a Prayer which is wifely coiiipofed, and gravely exprefs'd; (and fuch are the Pray- ers of the Church ; liich indeed any ftu- dy'd and compofed Form of Prayer is more likely to be, than a Prayer which is utter'd Form of the Lord's Pra^y'cr, 29 utcer'd extempore^ without Thinking or Preaieditation. ) So that all the Spirit which is ftintedj by a good Form of Prayer, is only a Spirit of Folly and Va- nity, of Carelefneis and Irreverence ; iiay, perhaps of Fadlion and Blafphemy: and Fm fure it is not fit there ihould ever be any fiich Spirit in our publick Prayers and Devotions. But, (2.) Is it then the Spirit of the Hea- rers^ that is, of thofe who are to join with the Minifter in Prayer, which is (tint- ed by his ufing of a fet Form ? This likewife may be granted ; but then, in Anfwer to it, it may truly be faid, that this is nothing more than what is, and m^ufi: be, whether the Minifter u- fes a Form of Prayer, or whether he prays extempore \ and whether he prays by a Form prefcribed by the Church , or by ii Form of his own compofing. The Spirit 6f the Hearers is as much ftinted in one of thefe Cales , as in another ; and not more in any one of them than in any o- ther. For in whatfoever manner the Mi- nifter 30 The Defign^ Matter^ and nifter prays , by a Form or without, the Bufinefs of the People is to join with him in his Trayer ; they are to mind what he fays, and their Heart is to go along with his Words \ they are not, at that rime, to have any Thoughts in their Minds, but liich as the Words which the Mi nifter ut- ters do fuggeft to them. And if the Spi- rit of the Hearers be not thus ftint- ed, i. e. if while the Minifter fpeaks one thing, they take the Liberty to think of another thing, they ceafe to pray in com- mon; and the Liberty which they then take of thinking what they pleafe , is in truth neither better nor worfe than wan- dring in Prayer, and leaving the Bufi- nefs which they ought to be then about. But, (3 .) Laftly ; is it then the Spirit of God which is ftinted by the Ufe of a fet Form of Prayer ? How can that be ? For the Spirit of God is not given us to teach us what Words to utter in Prayer to God ; thofe the Senfe of our own Needs and Occafi- Form of the Lord's Prayer. 3 1 ens do readily enough fupply us with ; and there is no more need of an extraor-, dinary Affiftance of the Spirit to enable us to expreft the Thoughts and Defires of our Minds in proper Words, when we put up a Prayer to God , than there is when we put up a Petition to a Man ; or indeed than there is to enable us to ex- prefs our Thoughts at any other Time, or upon any other Occafion. But the Spirit of God is given us in Prayer, to excite in tis pious and devout AfFedtions towards God, and to enable us to accompany thofe Words, which v/e^ utter in Prayer, with hearty and devout Affections. So we are taught by the Apofile^ Rom. viii. 26. Like- wife the Spirit alfo helpeth our Infirmi- ties \ for we btow not what to fray for as we ought ^ but the S])irtt it felfma- keth Inter ceffion for us^ with Groanings which cannot be utter' d. Here you fee how the Spirit of God helpeth our Infir- mities ; it is not, at lead not ordinarily^ by lupplying us with Words ; but by ex- citing in us devout Affections and fervent Defires ; it maketh Inter ceffion for us^ with 3 2 The Deftgn^ Matter^ and with Groanings which cannot be utter' d. Or if the Spirit of God be indeed affiftant to any at all in the forming of their Prayers, is there not very good Reafon to think that it is thus affifting to the Guides and Paftors of the Church, in their compofing proper Forms of Prayer for the Ufe of the Church, as well as, or indeed much rather than, to any fingle Man who takes upon him to utter a Prayer extern- fore ? And if the publick Prayers of the Church are drawn up by the Help and Al^ fiflance of the holy Spirit, (which, Vm lure, there is as much Reafon to behcvci as that any private R^fan's Prayers are fo fuggefled to him ;) it can be no ftinting of the Spirit to pray to God by a Forrii of Prayer, which was drawn up by wife and good Men, with the Afliftance of the holy Spirit, But, 3. It was farther objeded againft the Ufe of a fee Form of Prayer ; that to pray by a Form, is contrary to that praying bj the Sprit y which is mod pkafing to God, But Form of the Lord's Prayer. i 7 But how can that be V when (as 1 have jufl now fliewn) we may pray ^ the Sfi- rit, as well when we ufe a form, as when we pray extempore \ in Cafe the publick Form which we make ufe of was drawn up by the Afliftance of the Spirit : which, as I (aid, there is at lead as much Reafon to believe , as that any extern* pore Prayer is {o drawn up. But the Truth is, they miftake the Scri- pture, who think that it is our Duty to pray by the Spirit ; for this is no where commanded or required. We are com- ttianded indeed to worlhip God in Spirit*^ and our Saviour fays, that none elfe are true Worihippers of God, bur futh as wor- Jhip him in Spirit and in Truths John iv. 23, X4. And we are alfo directed by the Apofties, to pray in the Spiri!-^ and to pray with the Spirit ; but to pray in the Spirit^ and with the Spirit ^ is a quite different thing from praying by the Spi- rit^ as that Phraie is commonly under- flood. For what is commonly meant by praying by the Spirit , is , to have our Prayers, both Matter and Words, dicSta- ^ D ted 34 7^^ ^^fi^^^^ Matter^ and ted and iuggefted to us by the holy Spirit of God ; 'tis to pray by Inlpiration, as the Trophets and Apftles fpake and wrote, as they were moved by the Holy Ghoji ; 'tis to pray, as the holy Tfalmiji did, in thofc Tfalms which we now read in the Bible, and arc granted to have been of divine Infpiration . But thus to pray to God is not laid upon us as a Duty ; for it is no where in Scripture required of us, that we fliould pray by Infpiration : and when any Man tells you that he prays by the Spirit, if what he tells you be indeed true, /. e. if the Matter and Words wiiiGh he utters in Prayer are really fuggefted to him by the holy Spirit, as he would have you believe; you ought to take every Word which fuch a Man {peaks in his Prayer, not as the Words of a Man, but as the Words of God. You ought there- fore carefully to write them down from his Mouth, and to give Copies thereof a- bout to the Chrifiian Church. For the Spirit of God is always the fame ; and if there be any Prayer which is now didated to any Man by the holy Spirit, that Prayer, form of lK)c Ljijid's Praytr, 3 ^ Prayer, if ic were written down, would be as much Scripture, and as good Scri- pture, as the Tfalms of T)avid^ or any- other part of the holy Bthle, For that which makes what we call the Scripture to be truly the Word of God, tho' fpoken or written by Men, is becaufe it was fpo- ken and written by Infpiration of the Ho- ly Ghoft^ by the fame Reaibn therefore any other Prayer , any other Words of a Man, Ipoken by Infpiration of the fame Spirit, is no lefe the Word of God than that is. And yet, I believe, that if they who ^ are us'd to hear the extempore Effufions of thofe who pretend to pray by the Spi* rit, would take the Pains to write them down from their Mouths, and would af- terwards carefully perufe and examine them, they would eafily be convinced of theFalfity of that Pretence; they would loon fee the DifferencG between thofe Prayers and Scripture. But be that as it will; yet, as I faid beforCj to ^x^y by the Spirit^ i.e. to pray by Infpiration; however it may be liippo- D % fed 3 (5 I'he Dejigyi^ Matter^ mid fed to be the 'Privilege and Advantage of lome Men, that they do fo, yet is no where commanded to any Man, as a©//- ty. All that is ever required of us, is, to ^ pray in the Sprite and to pray with the Sprit ; and that, as I faid, is a quite dif- ferent thing from praying by hijpiration. For to pray /;/ the Spirit , or with the Spirit^ \s nothing elle but only to mind what we fay, to give good Attention to our Prayers, and to accompany the Words of our Mouth with fuitable Affedions and Defires of the Heart. And thus we may pray /;/ the Spirit^ or with the Spirit^ as well when we pray by a Foi^'in , as when we pray extempore. Nay, I be- lieve it is much eafier fo to pray m the Spirit , or with the Spirit , /. e. to at- tend to what is fiid, and to go along with it in our Minds and Defires, when the Minifter prays by a Form which we have been us'd to , and are well acquainted with , than it would be if he every time us'd a new Prayer. And that this is the true fcriptural meaning of praying />;, or with the Spi- rity Form of the Lord's Prayer. 37 rit^ and that it was not thereby intended to be laid upon us as a Duty, that we fliould pray by Infpiration of the holy Spi- rit, is, I think, very evident from i Cor. xiv. If. IFhat is h tbeni I ^juill ^ray 'With the Spirit^ and I "ovill fray with the Wilder flanding alfo ; 1 vjillfing with the Spirit^ and I will fing with the ^n- derflandiug alfo. It is evident, I fay, from hence, that we are no otherwife o- bhged to fray with the Spirit^ than we are to Jing with the Spirit. If therefore we do Jlng with the Spirit^ when our Hearts go along with our Voices in fing- ing any Tfalm., or Hymn^ which was compofed and written down before ; (and I prefume no fober Perfon has any other Notion oi Jlnging with the Spirit^ but this ;) then fo likewife may we pray^ fo al- fo we do pray with the Spirit^ when our Hearts and Minds go along with the Words which are utter'd in Prayer, whether the Prayer be fpoken by our felves , or ano- ther ; and whether \i be utter 'd extempore, or be a Form which was compofed long before. D ^ And 3 8 ^ he Defig^n, Matter, and And mod ceftaini)' , if our Saviour^ who has commanded us to worjhip God in Spirit , and to pray with the Spirit^ had not known that God might be wor- Ihipp'd and prayed to, in Spirit at leaft, as well by a fct Form of Prayer, as by an extempore Effullon; when the Requcft was put to him by his Difciples, to teach them xo pray\ he would have taken that Occafion to tell them, that there was no need of their ever troubling themfelves a- bout that Matter, forafmuch as no Prayers would be acceptable to God, but fuch on- ly as were immediately dictated or infoi- red by the Holy Ghojt : fo that confe. quently their bed way would be never to pray at all, but only when they were mc- ved to it by the Spirit, and then to pray as the Spirit gave them "Utterance. He would not certainly , had he known that praying by a Form w^s unpleafing to God, (he vv^ould not, I fay, then) have prc- fcrib'd a Form of Prayer for them to ufe, as he did ; when, in Anfwer to that their Requcft, he [aid unto them^ when ye praj^ Form of the Lord's Prayer. 39 J^ray^ fay^ Our Father which art in Hea- ven^ &c. III. The next thing I was to fpeak Ibmevvhat of, was the Matter of this Prayer. And concerning this, I fhall ob- ferve only two things. I. That it is a very full and compre- henfive Form of Prayer ; there being no Petition which we can at any time have Occafion to put up to God, either for our Souls, or for our Bodies ; for our felves, or for others; which is not included in, and may not be reduced to, fbme or other of the Petitions of this ihort Prayer. And this is a very good Reafon, (befides the exprefs Command of our Lord for the Ufe of it) why we fliould very frequently put up our Requefts to God, in thofe ve- ry Words which are here taught us. Be- caufe tho' it may be expedient , that ac- cording as thofe Needs are which are mod preffing upon us, or we are moft fenfible of, we iliould be fometimes more large and particular than we can be in the D 4 Uie 40 The Deft^n^ Matter^ and \5{^ of any general Form, fuited, as this is, to the Condition of all Chriftians; yet it '\% not fit that our Thoughts and Defires ihould ever be fo wholly bent upon thofe SubjccSts wherewith ar prefent we are moft affedled, as to forget or overlook others, every whit as neceffary to employ our Medications about.. And then we may be fure that we have omitted nothing proper to be requefted of God , when we have fupply'd the Defed:s of our own imperfedt Prayers by the Super-addition of this moft excellent, and moft comprehenfive Form of Prayer, which our Lord himfelf, who knew all our Needs, hath, inCompafTion to our Weaknefs, taught' us to make ufe o£ a. The other thing which I fliall ob- ferve, concerning the Matter of this Pray- er, is this ; that tho' it was prefcrib'd and given by our Lord himfelf, who being the W'tfdom of the Father, and having 7iot received the Spirit by Me a fure ^ had no need to copy or learn any thing from o- thers, yet (as has been obferved and made out Form of the Lord's Prayer. 41 out by rhofe verled in the Jewijh Learn- ing\ [Grot. Cappel.]) there is nothing ia this whole Prayer which could even then be accounted new, either in the Matter, or in the Expr.efiion of it ; but that it is taken, every part of it, with very fmall Variation, out of thofe Forms of Prayer which were cuftomarily ufed by the Jews in our Saviour's Time ; [_Comber.'] It appears therefore from hence, that our Saviour was no AfFed:er of Novelty in Devotion, no more than in other things. He was not one of thofe who difliked a good thing only becaufe it was old. He was not of the Mind of fome later Refor- mers, of greater Zeal than Difcretion, who in their hafte to root up the Tares, have had no regard to the Wheat which w^as mix'd with them; and in their Zeal to extirpate throughly all Superftition, have well-nigh deftroy'd all Face of Religion. But our Saviour wifely diflinguillicd be- tween good and bad ; and tho' he could, doubtlels , have taught his Difciples a Prayer which was entirely new, yetchofe rather to take the chief Materials of his Prayer 4^ TheDefign, Matter^ and Prayer out of the Jewifh Devotions, then in common Ufe ; that fo it might appear, that in the other Reformations which he made in Worihip or Rehgion, he was not govern'd by Fancy, or guided by a Spirit of Fadtion or Schifm, but aded wholly according to the Truth and Reafon of things. It is therefore no juft Objedion againft the Liturgy of our Church , (if it were true, as it \^ not,) that it is taken out of what they call the MafsBook ; a Book in which it mufl: be granted, and is readi- ly own'd, there was a great Mixture of fuch Devotions, as muft be allow'd to be not only fuperftitious, but idolatrous. For that's not the Queftion , what the Book was before it was reform'd, but what it is now that it is reform'd ; not whether there were any Errors in it formerly, but whether there be any Errors left in it now. For if there be not, then it mult be grant- ed that it is well and fufficiently reform- ed; and the wife Compilers of our now moft excellent Liturgy , in continuing in it Ibme Prayers or Collcds , which had been form oj tbe Lord's Prayer. 43 been indeed inUfe in the rime of Popery jbut which were alfo in Ufe in the Church long before the firft beginning of Popery ; be- ing Portions of the nioft ancient Liturgies in the firft and pureft Times of Chriftia- iiity, (in continuing, I fay, fome fuch good Prayers and CoIIeds in our prefent Liturgy, the wife Compilers of it) did no more than our Saviour himfclf did in the compofing of his own Prayer, the whole Matter whereof was taken by him out of former Books of Devotion then in Ufe a- mong the Je^'s. And for this we may well adrriire the Wifdom, Temper, and Judgment of our firft Reformers ; but we can lee nothing in what they did, which is in the leaft liable to blame. And with- out confidering from whence they took any of the Materials of that Liturgy which they have left to us , we may truly fay, i;hat it is a moft excellent Compofition ; every whit as good as it would have been had it been entirely new, and in fome Re- fpcd:s better. From hence alfo it farther appears , ( I mean from our Saviour's raking into his own 44 TheDefign^ Matter^ and own Prayer thofe Words, Expreffions, and Forms of Speech, which had been formerly in \i{t ; it appears, I fay, from hence,) that God would not be better pleas'd with our Prayers, if they were of- fered up every Day in a new Style and Drefs, than he is when they are offered up in the fame Words; provided the Mat- ter of them be good, and the Words of our Mouth be accompanied with the fer- vent Defires of our Heart. For moft cer- tainly, if new Phrafes and ExpreflionS had been more pleafing to God than old ones, our Saviour would never have prefcrib'd any Form of Prayer to his Difciples; and much lefs would he have taken into this Form, thofe Petitions, and thofe Exprcf- fions thereof, which had been in Ule in the Jewijh Church long before. IV. Laftly ; another thing which I pro- pos'd to confider in general, concerning the Lord's Vrayer^ was, the Frame and Compofure of it. And concerning this we may obferve, likewife, two things. I. That Form of the Lord's Prayer, ' 45- I. That the 'Tlural Number is r^Ted throughout the whole Prayer. For 'tis not faid my Fat her ^ but, our Father ; not give me my daily Bread, but give us-, not forgive me, but forgive us our TrefpafTes ; and fb on. 'Tis plain therefore, from hence, that this Prayer was defign'd by our Saviour^ chiefly to be ufed in Company with others, that it was meant for a publick Prayer. And from this it farther appears, that tho'' our Saviour, at the 6^^ i^. of this Chapter, (in Oppofition to the Praftice of the Tha- rifees, who, even in their f.ngle Devoti- ons, always prayed openly, that they might be feen of Men ;) had direded his Diiciples to retire to a Clofet, or fome fe- cret Place, w^herc they might be fure not to be over-look'd or over-heard by any, and there to put up their Prayers in fecret, to their Father who favv in fecret; yet did not thereby defign to forbid publick Prayer, at proper Seafons and Opportuni- ties. What he meanc to enjoin, was, that our private Prayers Ihould, to avoid Often- ^6 , J he Ddjign^ Matter^ and Oftentation, be as private as they could well be contrived ; but then , that we might not mifunderftand him, when he comes here to teach us how to pray , he puts into our Mouths fuch Words as were moft proper to be ufed in Company : clear- ly intimating thereby, that private Devo- tions are not to exclude the publick; but that we ought alfo, at proper Seafons and Opportunities, to pray in Company with others. Not but that we may, even when we are alone, ufe this Form of Prayer, and fay, Oar Father^ &c. But then when we do fo, the very Form of Speech which we ufe, fhews, that tho' we are alone by our felves, we do extend our good Wiflies to others befides our felves. For it would be very improper for a Man to fay, give as our daily Bread, and forgive its our Trei^ pafl^:.^, and the like, if be meant to beg thefe Bleffings of God to and for himfelf only. From this Form of Speech, therefore^ which our Saviotm himlelf here teaches us to ule in our Prayers to God, Our Fa- ther, Fofin of the Lord's Prater. 47 ther, give us^ forgive tiSj and the like; we plainly Icarn, that it is our Duty to- pray with others^ and to pray/^r others^ as well as alone, and for our lelves. %. Another thing which may be ob- ferv'd m the general Frame and Compofure of this Prayer^ is this ; that the three former Petitions of it regard the Honour and Glo- ry of God ; hallowed be thy Name ; thy Kingdom come:, and thy Will he done : and 'tis after this only which we are taught or allovv'd to put up Petitions for our felvcs ; give us our daily Bread \ forgive us our Trejpajfes ; deliver us from E- vily Sec. And what we fhould learn from hence^ is ; that it is our Duty to make the Glory of God our chief Aim and Dcfign, and ta defire nothing elfe, not even for our felves, but in Subordination to that. According to that expreis Direction given us by our J'^- viour at the 33"^ f. of this C^upter ; Seek ye firfl the Kingdom of God j and his Right eoufnefs^ and all thefe things jhall be added unto you ; and that Precept of tl>e 48 The Deftgn, Matter^ 8cc. the Jf off le^ I Cor. X. 31. IVhether ye eat or drink^ or whatfoever ye do ; do all to the Glory of God. To him therefor e,{iX\m. i.17.) the King eternal^ immortal^ invtfible^ the only wife God^ be Honour and Glory^ for ever and ever. Amen. THE THE PREFAC E OF T HE Lords Prayer EXPLAINED. 51 DISCOURSE II. The Preface of the Lord's Prayer explained. St«jK«««««3'-«rK?K« ■:•«)« 3-«'K-K?5?*«'K^-5r»- 58- -K-g Matth. vi. 9. After this Manner therefore pray ye : Our Father which art in Hea^ ven^ &c, UR Lord having in the fore- i going Verfes caution'd us a- I gainft fecking Glory to our i felves in our Addrcflesto God, and againit ekeing out our Prayers to God E X with y////yy'xw>,i/yyBixxxvv..i*.*v*-"vVv^ y2 The Preface of the vain Repetitions^ zwdi much fpeakpig\ as if, like the Heathens^ we thought Gad could not well underftand our Needs, un- left we were very copious and particular in declaring them, or that he was pleas'd with a Multitude of Words ; proceeds in the Text, and following Verfes, to inftrud: us farther in the Duty of Prayer, by pre- fcribing a Form of Words very proper to be ufed therein, which is what we com- monly call The Lord's Trajier. Our Fa- ther which art in Heaven ; hallowed be thjName^ Sec. In which there are three principal Parts ; thcTrefacej the Bodj of thQ Trajier, and |:he Co7tclufion. The Treface is a folemn Invocation of God, to whoin we diredt our Prayer. Our Father which art in Heaven, The Body of the Trayer confifts of fix feveral Petitions which we put up to him. And the Gonclufion contains a Doxolo- gy, or a fplemn Recognition of the Power apd Majefty of that God to whom we have otTer^d up our Requefts; thine is the Lord's Prayer explained. 53 the Kingdom^ the Tower j and the Glory ^ for ever and ever. In ferious Confideration whereof, we are taught, in the laft place, to add our Amen to the whole. By which Word wc fignify not only our full and hearty Gon- fent to all and every the Claufes of the iForegoing Prayer , but alfb our Faith and Hope in God, that he will beftow upon us thofe things which we have ask'd of him. In Ipeakiug of all which Particulars, I lliall, I. Explain the Meaning of each Claufe, and fliew what it is which we are there- in and thereby taught to acknowledge to^ or to beg of God ; or what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds, when we ut«^ ter thefe Words. And, II. I ftiall mention the Duties^ whichji from the feveral Claufes and Petitions of this Prayer, we are inftruilcd in, and ob^ iig'd to. 54 ^^^ Preface of the I. I now begin with the firft part of the Prayer, vi^. the Treface^ which is^ as I faid, a Iblemn Invocation of God, to whom we diredt our Prayer. Our Fa- ther which art in Heaven^ &c. And here we may coofider, i. The Ob* jecSt of Prayer in general, viz. God, cal- led here, Our Father In Heaven : and, x- What things we do, in this Compellation or Invocation of God, afcribe to him^ and profels and declare our BeUef of. I. The Objed of Prayer in general, viz. God called here. Our Father in Heaven, To him we are to direcft our religious Prayers, and to none other, as our Saviour himfelf teacheth us mofl expreflly. Mat. iv. lo. Thou /halt worjhip the Lord thy Godj and him only jhalt thou ferve. There is neither Precept nor Prefident for Creature-Worlhip in the whole Bible ; not of the mofl: glorious Angel in Heaven^ much lefs of the Souls of departed Saints^ (uppos'd to be now advanced thither. Oa Lord's Prater explained. 5 j On the contrary, we are expreffly for- bidden in the firft Commandment, to have any other God but Jehovah^ i. e, to pay divine Worfhip to any other Being; and God hath faid that he will, by no means, give his Honour to another. And particularly, as to the Worlliip of Angels, which feems the moft warranta* ble of any Creature- Worlhip, becaule they are the moft excellent of all Creatures ; that is not only expreffly forbidden by the Apjlle, Coloir.ii.i8. but when St. J^Z^/?, in lome Aftonifliment at the glorious Ap- parition of an Angel, and thinking him, perhaps, to be the Deity afTuming a vifi- ble Shape, fell down to worlhip before him ; we find him twice reprov'd for ii by the Angel himfclf, Rev. xix 10 and xxii. 9- in thefe Words, fee thou do it not ; for I am thy Fellow-Servant ; worjhtp God, And how much the holy Apoftles, who of all Men, who of all Creatures, next to the Angels, feem the moft proper Objecfts of religious Worlhip, did abominate fuch Wor.hfp, we learn from two Examples ^ and thole too of the two moft eminent A- E 4 poftles; J 6 The Preface of the poftles; firft of St. Teter^ ABs x, x6, who, when Cornelius was fallen down at bis Feet to worfliip him, took him uf^ fay^ ing-i ft and uf^ I my felf alfo am a Man : and then of St. "Taul^ with St. Barnabas^ who, when the People at Lyftra took them for Gods, and would thereupon have done Sacrifice to them, rent their Cloaths^ and ran in among the Teople^ faying^ Sirs^ why do you thefe things? IVe alfo are Men of like Tajfions with you\ and f reach unto you that ye Jhould turn from thefe Vanities unto the living God^ which made Heaven, and Earthy, and the Sea^ and all things that ar& therein \ as you may fee, AEisyCxs. if. And yet in both thefe Cafes the Gb- je6tSj vizy, the Angel, and thefe Apoftles,- were vifibly prefent with thofe who would have worfliipped them. It muft therefore be woiie ftill to give fiich Worlhip to a- ny Creatures not vifibly prefent, and who may, likely, not know any thing of what we are doing. For tho' the Angels are in- deed in Heaven, in the Prefence of God^ yet their Knowledge of things is bounded and Lord's Prayer explained. 5 7 and confin'd ; and 'tis likely they may know nothing more of what is done upon Earth , than God is pleafed to reveal to themv And as to the Saints departed, they as little know what we are doing, as we know where they are. Abraham is ignorant of us ^ and IJrael acknowledgeth us not'y fb we are told, Ifaiah Ixiii. 16. And whether, if they do know any thing of us , they are in a Condition to do any Kindnefs for us, we know not; nor in- deed whither to diredl our Prayers to them for that Purpole. For all which we know of the State of the Souls of good Men de- parted, is, that they reft from their La- bours^ and that they are in Teace ; bu£ where their Abode is, God has not told us. All that I think we have ground from Scripture to believe concerning them, is, that tho' they are at prefent very hap- py, and are therefore faid to be in Tara- difey and in Abraham's Bofom ; th^y are Bot however, as yet, in that exalted and glorify ed State, which they will be put into after the Refurredtion, and final Judg- ment. Till then, therefore, (tho' indeed not 58 The Preface of the not then neither ; but, I fay, till then at lead;) they can't be proper Objcds of Worlhip; nor (as appears from Scripture,) were they ever thought fo by any Perfon among the Jews or Chrifiians in ancient times ; unleft we take the Parable of the rich Man and Lazarus^ {Luk.yivx.) for a true Hiftory, For there indeed we have one Inftance of Prayer made to a Saint departed, even to Father Abraham ; bat then , when it fliall be confidered who it Was who put up that Prayer, viz,, the rich Glutton % and where ^ and in what ft ate he was when he put it up , even m Hell , or Hades , tormented in thofe Flames ; I prefume that Example will not be thought fufficient to warrant Chrifti- ans upon Earth, in putting up Prayers to the Saints departed, as to a fort of Petty- Gods in Heaven. This then being fettled, that God, and God only , is the Objed; of a religious Prayer ; whom we are here taught to call Our Father in Heaven, Let us now confider, X. What Lord's Prayer explained. 59 a. What things they are which, in this Compellation or Invocation of God, (com- pofing the Treface of the Lord's Trayer^) we afcribe to him, and profefs and declare our BeHef of 5 and they are chiefly thele three, (i.) The Goodnefs of God, and his Readme fs to help us , and do us Good- This we own, by calling him Father, (i.) The Vniverfality of his Goodnefs^ that it is not limited or confined to our felves only, or to a few, but is extended to all Mankind, to whom he is a common Father ; and to all whom he bears the fame fatherly Affedtion which he does to us. And our Belief of this we profefs by call- ing him Our Father^ not my Father. (3.) Laftly ; we likewife, in this Preface, declare our Behef of his infinite T^ower ; that he is as able as he is willing to do us Good, And this we declare^ by calling him 6o The Preface of the him our heavenly Father, or our Father which is in Heaven. And our Behef of thefe three things is a jufl ground of Faith and Confidence in God, and of AfTurance that our Prayer will be regarded by him. For, (i.) Being permitted to call him Fa- ther^ and thereby afTur'd that he bears us the Tendernefs and Compafiion of a Fa- ther^ we may be confident that he is rea- dy and willing to grant all the reafonable Defires and Requefts of thofe to whom he is fo related; according to that of the Yfalmijly Pfal. ciii. 13, Like as a Father fitieth his Children., fo the Lord pit ieth them that fear him. And fo our Savi- our zx^ts^ Matt h. villi, Ifye^ being evil^ know how to give good Gifts unto your Children % how much more Jhall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them fi, e, to his Children,) that ask him ? But, (x.) If he was only a Father to Ibme, and not to others of us, we might ftill be afraid Lord's Prayer explained. 61 afraid whether our own Petitions in parti- cular would be anfwered or not ; becaufe, whatever he is to others, we might doubt whether he was a Father to us or no; and there is no Man who could with good ponfidence and Affurance fay to him, my Father^ if he could not alfo call him our Father, But now being taught by our Saviour in this Prayer, which was defign'd by him for the Ule of every Member of his Church, to C2i\\ him Our Father-, extend- ing, by that Expreflion, his fatherly Rela- tion to the whole Race of Mankind ; e- very Perfbn, warranted or commanded to ufe this Prayer, is aflured that God is a Father to him in particular, becaufe he is fo to us all. And if he be the common Father of us all , and lb alike related to every one of us, this gives us Affurance that he is no ReffeBer ofTerfons^ but that in every Nation, he that feareth God, and "uvork- €th Right eoufnefs, of what State or Con- dition foever he be in this World , is ac- cented. 6 1 The Preface of the cepted with h'lm^ Ads x. 34, 35". But then, (3.) Tho' he be our Father, and fo has, we may be aflured, a true Love and Kind- nefs to us, and a good Will to help us, and to fupply our Needs ; yet he might poffibly want Power to do us the Good which he would do. For this, we know, is the Cafe of many Fathers upon Earth ; they do truly love, and moft heartily wifh well to their Children ; and would, with all their Souls, give them Bread when they want it, and cry to them for it ; but alas | they have it not to give, they therafelves being many times as indigent and impo- tent as their Children ; and io all which they can do for them , is to companio- nate thofe their Wants, which they are not able to relieve. They have a ready Will enough to bellow all Good upon their Children, but they want Power to do them any Good at all. But now God, our heavenly Father^ is as powerful as he is good ; he \s as rich as he is bountiful ; he is as able, as he is willing Lord's Prayer explained. 6^ willing to help us. And this we are taught to beheve, and to acknowledge our Belief of, in this Preface to the Lord's Prayer, by calling him our Father which is />/ Heaven. For being in Heaven he is above all ; he is the fupreme Lord and Go- vernor of the whole World ; he doth ac^ cording to his Will in the Army ofHea^ ven^ and among the Inhabitants of the Earth ; and none can ft ay his Handy or fay unto him^ what doe ft thou ? Dan. iv. 3 ^^ And, as for our God^ fays the T^falmift^ he is in Heaven ; he hath done whatfoever £ leafed him^ Pfal. cxv. 3. In a word ; our God being in Heaven^ t. e. being the great God of Heaven and Earth, he can do whatever he will ; and being a Father^ he has the Love and Ten- dernefs of a Father to all his Children ; and being Our Father^ and we , confe- quently, every one of us, his Children, we may reafonably hope and exped from him all the good things which we can e- ver want or defire. And more than this needs not to be believed by us, to excite in us a firm Faith, and a good AfTurancc i that ^ - =? 6*4 The Preface of the that all thofe Petitions which in the fol- lowing Prayer we put up to him, (which, being taught us by our Saviour himfelf, we are fure are fuch as are agreeable to the Will of God ; ) will be gracioufly heard and anfwered by him. And all thefe things we do own and acknowledge , in this Preface to the Lord's Prayer, when we lay. Our Father which art in Heaven. 'Tis as if we had faid in more Words , O good God, who, as the common Creator of us ally art very kind and gracious to all Men ; who, as a Father^ art willing; and, as being in Heaven moft high, art able to give us all that ^^ we want ;" hallowed be thy Name^ See. And fo much for ExpHcation of the firft part of the Prayer, the Preface, or the Invocatio^i. But before I proceed farther, in the Ex- plication of this Prayer, I ihall (accord- ing to the Method before laid down) briefly mention the Duties, which, from this Preface to the following Petitions , we are inftrucaed in, and ohlig'd to. An4 Lord's Prayer explained, 6^ And there are feveral Points of Duty which we may learn from hence. For, I. If we confider only the relative Ap- pellation which we are here taught to give to God, by calling him Father-, and thereby owning him to be the Author of our Being , the Giver of all good things, and very kindly afFeevil^ fays our Savmir to the unbe- lieving Jews'^ and the Works of your Father ye will do^ John viii. 44. But tho' we are, by a Courfe of Sin, greatly degenerated from our firft Stock, it is yetftill in our Power, thro' the Af- fiftance of God's Grace, to be reftor'd by Adoption, to that fame Relation to God from which we have fallen. And this Re- lation we are reftor'd to by our Regene- ration in Baptilm, at which time the Sp- rit of his Son is fent forth into our Hearts^ crying^ Abba^ Father^ Gal. iv. 6. And this Relation will be inviolably pre- ferv'd , io long as we make it our fmcere Endeavour to conform our felves to his Likenefs, to be holy and pure, juft and merciful , as he is ; and to refcmble him as 74 The Preface of the as much as we can in all his imitable Per- fedions. This therefore we ought to do ; or eUc we ought nor, elfe we cannot in good Rea- Ibn call him Father. To be truly his Children we muft be like him ; we muft, as the A^oftle fpeaks, Coloff. iv. xa, 24. be renewed in the Sprit of our Minds j and fut off concerning the former Con- verfation the old Man^ which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lufts ; and put on the new Man^ which^ after God^ is created in Righteoufnefs and true Holi- nefs. And, be ye Followers of God^ as dear Children^ fays the lame Apojiky Eph. V. I. There, from this Relation which we bear to God, he argues our Ob- ligation to conform our felves to his Like- nefs. St. Teter alfo urges the lame Argu- ment to the fame Purpofe, i Tet, i. 14. As obedient Children , not fajhioning your felves^ according to the former Lufts in your Ignorance \ hut as he which hath called you is holy^ fo be ye holy in all manner of Converfation : becaufe it is written-, Be ye holy^ for I am holy. And from. Lord's Prayer explained. 7 y from the fame Relation our Saviour him- felf alfo infers the fame Duty, Mattb. v. 48. Beyeferfe£iy even as your Father is^nch is in Heaven is j^erfeB. (4.) If God be om Father J it is then alfo our Duty (a Duty plainly refulting from this Relation which we ftand in to- wards God, ) to truft in him, and to de- pend upon him, as Children do in and up- on their Parents. Elpecially, when we have not only good Ground in Reafon to believe, that, as our Father, he bears a fatherly Affection to us, fmcerely defires our Welfare and Happinefs, and conle- quently will deny us nothing necelTary, in order to it ; but have alfo the fure Word of God , as a farther , and indeed more certain Foundation, of fuch our Truft and Affiance in his Goodnefs. For by that we are afTur'd, Tfal. ciii. 13. That like as a Father pitieth his Children , fo the Lord pitieth them that fear him. And our Saviour himfelf, after he had given us a general Promife or AfTurance of God*s Readinefs to do all for us which we can realbnably 76 The Preface of the reafonably defire or requeft of him, in Luke xi. 9, lo. Ask^ and it jhall be gi- venyou'^ feek^ and ye Jhall find \ knocks and it Jhall be opened unto you. For e- 'very one that asketh., receiveth ; and he that feekethj findeth ; and to htm that knocketh^ it Jhall be opened \ proceeds then, at the ii'^ ix'^ and 13'^ Verfes, to declare the rational Ground we had for fuch AfTurance, even antecedently to his own Promife ; that {o our Belief of his Promile might be without any the leaft Doubtfulnefs or Diftruft, in thefe Words ; If a Son Jhall ask Bread of any of you that is a Father ^ will he give him a Stone ? Or if he ask a Fijh^ will he for a Fijh give him a Serpent ? Or if he ask an Egg^ will he offer him a Scor- pion ? If ye then^ being evil^ know how to give good things unto your Children ^ how much more Jhall your heavenly Fa- ther give the holy Spirit (or, as 'tis ex- preft'd in St. Matthew'^ Golpel, how much more Jhall your Father which is in Heaven give good things^ i. e. all things which are good,) to them that ask him ? (5.) If Lord's Prayer explained, 77 (5-.) If God be our Father, then it is . plainly our Duty to behave our felves 0- bediently, as well as refpedfully towards him , in all things. For the Name of a Father implies in it, not only Eminence and Superiority, but alfb Authority. A Father may require Obedience to hi5 Commands, as well as Refped: to his Perfbn. Children obey your Tarents in all things, (fays the AfoJile^Coloi^. iii. xo.) for this is well-pleafing unto the Lord:^ that \s, it is the Will of God that ye fliould do fo. And again, Efh, vi. i. Children obey your Tarents in the Lordy for this is right ; that is, 'tis what is juft and reafbnable, fit and becoming ; 'tis a Duty which natural Reafon didates, as well as which is enjoin'd by the exprefs Command of God. But if it be reafonable that we Ihould obey, /;/ all things, the Commands of our earthly Parents ; who being but Men, and of like Paflions and Infirmities with their Children, may, thro' Ignorance or Peeviflmefs, or only for the Exercife of their 78 Th£ Preface of the their own Power, lay upon their Chil- dren fuch Commands as are hard and ri- gorous; difficult to be perform'd, and which, when done, may not tend in the leaft to promote either their Children's Good, or their own; much more is it highly reafonable that we fliould, not only in all things, but alfb with all Readinefs and Chearfulnefs let our felves to obey the Com- mands of God, our heavenly Father ; who not only, as he is our Father, has full Right and Authority to lay what Commands he pleafes upon us, and to require our Obe- dience thereto, (even tho' they were hard and rigorous, and fuch as no Reafbn or Account could be given of, befides his own Will and Pleafiire only ;) but who al- fo infinitely exceeds, both in Wifdom and Goodnefs, the wileft and bcfl Fathers up- on Earth ; upon which Accounts we may be afTur'd that he never commands any thing but what is both reafonable for him to require, and alfo very expedient, and much tor our own Good to perform. He hath /hewed thee^ O Man^ fays the T ro- chet y what is good \ and what doth the 3 Lord Lord's Prater explained. 7^ Lord thy God require of thee^ but to do jttftly-, ^nd to love Mercy ^ and to walk httmbly with thy God? Micah vi. 8. Thefe are all the Commands of our kind and in- dulgent Father; he enjoins us nothing but what is both good in it lelf , and for our good : and therefore if we do not o- bey him in thefe Commands, as we fliall fliew our felves to be none of his obedi- ent Children , fo neither can we reafona- bly hope that he will own us as luch, or be any longer a loving Father to us. If, lays St. Teter^ ye call on the Father^ i. e, if ye call on God as your Father, who J without RefpeB of Terfons, judg- eth according to every Man's Work ; fafs the time of your fojourning here in Fear, For indeed, with what Face can we pre- fume to call him Father^ if we rejed his fatherly Authority ? Or how can we hope that he Ihould love us, and deal with us as good Children, while we refufe to give him the Obedience of Sons ? (6.) Laftly ; the fame Relation of a Father^ which God bears tg us, makes it 8o The Preface of the it likewife reafonable for us to ftibmic with Mceknefs and Patience to all his Cor- regions. This Duty the Author to the Hebrews infers from this Relation, Heb. xii. f, ^c. and he alfo enforces it with fuch Reafons, grounded thereupon, that nothing more fhall need to be laid upon this Head, but what we read there in the Apoflle's own Words. My Son^ defpfe not thou the chaftning of the Lord^ nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chajineth, and fcourgeth every Son whom he recei- veth. If ye endure Chaftning^ God deal- eth with you as with Sons ; for what Son is he whom the Father chafineth not ? But if ye be without Chaftifement^ whereof all are 'Partakers^ then are ye Bafardsj and not Sons. Farthermore^ we have had Fathers of our Flejh which corrected us^ and we gave them Reve- rence ; jhall we not much rather be in Subjection to the Father of Spirits^ and live ? For they verily, for a few T>aySj chajined us after their own Tleafure ; but hcy for ourTrofit\ that we might be Lord's Prater explained. 8 1 be Partakers of his Holinefs. Now no chajining^ for the frefent^ feemeth to be joyous^ but grievous ; neverthelefsy af- ter war d^ it yeildeth the peaceable Fruit of Right eoufhefs unto them which are ex- etcijed thereby ; Heb. xii. 5 — 11. Bur, 2. As God is a Father, fo he is alfo Our Father, We are taught to call him fo in this Prayer ; Our Father ; rhat is , a Father not to our felves only, but to all the reft of our Race. And the Confl- deration of this may likewife remind us of, and ftrongly enforce upon us, fundry Duties. For^ (r.) If God be a common Father to u:s dllj then all we are Brethren. His com- mon Relation, as a Father^ to us, unites us in a very near Relation to one another. And if all Men are our Brethren , we are all fo far in a State of Equality with each other. We ought not therefore to defpife, reproach, or vilify any Perfon v/hatfoever ; becaufe how much foever he may be our Inferior in fome little worldly G Refpeds, 8 2 The Preface of the Relpeds, he ftands in the fame Relation to God that we do. We ought not there- fore, I lay, to bear our felves high over others, as if they were our Slaves and .VafTals; feeing that, in truth, they are our Brethren, and in all confiderable Re- Ipeds equal to our felves. Moreover, God being our common Fa- ther, and all we, as his Children, Bre- thren to each other ; we ought all, as the Jlpoftle exhorts, to love as Brethren^ to be fitiful^ and to be courteous to each other. For that Brethren fhould love one another, is fo clear a Law of Nature, and fo deeply engraven in all our Hearts, that none can be ignorant of it. And indeed, as there was no Need of an expreft Reve- lation to enjoin a Duty fo eafy to be dif- cern'd, and fo well known; fo I do not remember that there is any where, either in the Old or New Tejiament , in the Law or in the Gofpel , any pofitive Pre- cept diredlly commanding it. It is rather, all along fuppos'd and taken for granted, as a Duty which could not but be known and allow'dbyall; that Brethren ought to love one another. There Lord's Prayer explained, 83 There is indeed mention fometimes made in Scripture, of brotherly Love\ but it is not , I think , any where ex- prefily commanded to be exercifed by and between thofe who (as being born of the lame common Parents, according to the Fleih ; ) are mofl properly called Bre^ thren ; bccaufe, as it feems, there was no Need of a pofitive Command to oblige us to a Duty which Nature lb clearly didtates, and lb ftrongly urges upon our PracSlice; but the Defign of all thofe Texts, which require the Exercile, or the Continuance oi brotherly Love^ is only to propofe that Love which Brothers do naturally bear to each other, as the Pattern and Mealure of that Love which all Men ought to bear to one another, even altho' they are not quite ^o nearly related together, as Bro^ thers accordinc* to the Flefli are. (x.) If God be otir Father^ and all "we are Brethren; feeing confequently, he bears the fame good Will to all of us> and we have all the fame Needs and Wants , and the fame common Requefts 5 G X to 84 The Preface oj the to make to God ; it hence becomes our Duty, and a very reafonable Duty too, to join together, as we have Opportunities, in great Numbers, to offer up our com- mon Petitions to him. This is plainly mod glorious to God; the Multitude of his Worlhippers, owning their Depen- dence upon him, bcft fcts forth the Large- neft of his Dominion, and the Extent of his Power. And this is alfo bed for our felves ; becaule the greater the Number is of thole who join together in Prayer, the better AfTurance may they realbnably entertain of the good Succefs of their Prayer. For if it may well be prefumed that a good Father will not deny the rea- fonable Requcft of any one of his Chil- dren , much more may it be trufted to^ and depended upon, that he will not de- ny the like reafonable Requeft of all his Children ; or of a great many of them, when they join together in putting up the fame common Petition to him. (3.) If God he our Father ; the Father, I not of one, two, or a few Men, but o£ the Lord's Prayer explained, 8 5 the whole Race of Mankind; then it plainly follows, that whether we pray with others, or by our felves, we ought always, even in our Prayers by our felves, and principally for our felves, to be mind- ful alfo of others, and to beg the fame things of God for them , which w^e beg for our felves. Indeed we can't ever, ei- ther in publick or in private, put up this moft excellent Prayer, taught us by our Lord himftlf, without doing lb. For by ftyling God our Father^ we extend his fatherly Relation to others befides our felves ; and by faying give us our daily Bread, and forgive us our Trelpaffes, and the like, w^e beg the fame things for all thofe to whom he is a Father, w^hich we do for our felves. And that thus we ought to do, and are taught to do in this Prayer, our Church likewife inftrudls us, in that fhort Expli- cation of it which (lie has given in her Catechidii, when in anfwer to that Que- ftion. What dejircjt thou of God in this Grayer'} The Scholar is taught to anfwer, / defire my Lord God^ our heavenly Fa- G 3 ther. %6 The Preface of the ther, who is the Giver of all Go&dnefs^ to fend his Grace unto me^ and to all Teofle. Bur, 3. Laftly ; as God is a Fat her ^ and our Father^ io he is likevvife our heavenly Father^ or Our Father which is in Hea- ven^ as we are here taught to call him ; by which Phrafe, which art in Heaven^ we acknowledge ( as has been already Ihewed ) the Greatnefs of God's Power, and the Extent of his Dominion. And the Duties which we learn from hence are chiejdy thefe two. (i.) To rely upon his Power, who be- ing in Heaven over all , can do what he pleales ; to beheve firmly that nothing is too hard for him, that he is able to do whatever we defire ; and confequently to truft that all our Petitions fliall be grant- ed, if they he fuch as are fit to be grant- ed. And, (x.) In Confideration of the Greatnefs pf his Majefly, to lay our felves low be- fore Lord's Prayer explained. 87 fore him, to approach him with the pro- foundeft Reverence, to demean our felves in his Prefence with the deeped Humihty both of Body and Mind, and to belpeak him in the moft fubmiflive and relpedful Expreffions. This Duty I inferr'd before, from the Confideration of his being otir Father ; but that he is alfo infinitely advanced a- bove us in Heaven^ is a farther Enforce- ment of it. And for this Purpofe, the fe- rious Confideration of this Point is very well urg'd by the wifeMan^ Ecclef v. i, x. Kee^ thy Foot^ i. e, fliew all poflTible Re- verence, of Body as well as Mind, whefi thou goefl to the Houfe of God. -Be not rajh with thy Mouthy and let not thine Heart be hafly to utter any thing before God\ for God is in Heaven^ and thou upon Earth, To him therefore^ God the Father^ Son^ and Holy GhoJI, three Terfons and one God,, be given always,, as is moji due, all Honour and Glo?y^ now and for evermore. Amen. G 4 HAL- HALLOWED B E Thy NAME, EXPLAINED. 91 DISCOURSE III. Hallowed he thy Name^ explained. ^fr "M*" "^^ •>{<■ W* "W W" W" 'Ht' "^ Matth. yi. p. latter part. Hallowed he thy Name. H E Prayer here taught by our Saviour Chriji to his Difciples, commonly call- ed the Lord's Trayer^ con- fids (as I have formerly ob- ferved) of three principal parts; I. The Preface, which is a foleran Compellation or Invocation of God ; Our Father ^i Hallowed be th^Name^ explain' d. Father which art in Heaven: II. The Body of the Prayer, which confifts of fix Petitions : and. III. The Condufion, which contains i. ADoxology, or folemn Re- cognition or Acknowledgment of the Pow- er and lyiajefty of that God to whom we offer up our Petitions , for thine is the Kingdom^ the Tower and the Glory ^ for ever and ever : and, %. An Expreflion of our hearty Concurrence and Agreement with every Claufe of the foregoing Prayer, and of our AfTurance of God's Power and Willingnels to grant our Petitions, in the Word, Amen. And the Method wherein I have alrea- dy propps'd to treat of all thefe Particu* lars, is this ; I. I propounded, as I go along, to ex- plain the Meaning of each Claufe in this Prayer; to iliew what it is, that therein, and thereby we are taught to acknow- ledge to , or to beg of God ; or what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter the Words of this Prayer. And, II. To Hallowed he th') Name ^ explain' d, 9j II. To mention th€ Duties, which, from the leveral Claufes and Petitions of this Prayer, we are inftru<9;ed in, and obli- ged to. And in this Method I have already diC- courfed of the firft part of this Prayer , inz,, of the Preface ; which is a folemn Compellation or Invocation of Almighty God, a Diredion of our Speech to him, in thefe Words ; Our Father which art in Heaven, I proceed now in the next Place, II. To difcourfe of the fecond part of this Prayer , which I call'd the Body of it ; and that (as I have before obferved) confifts of fix Petitions ; whereof the three firft chiefly refped: God's Glory, hallo^w- ed be thy Name^ thy Kingdom come^ and thy Will be done ; and the three laft, our own Good ; give us this T)ay our daily Breads &c. From which Order of thefe Petitions we may very well be reminded of that Duty which is taught us at the 33 "^ ^. of this 9 4 Hallowed he thy Name^ explain' d. this Chapter, feek firfl the Kingdom of Gody and his Right eotifnefs^ and all the fe things jhall be added unto you ; and by t\\t A^oJIky in I Cor. x. 33. Whether ye eat or drink^ or whatfoever ye do^ do all to the Glory of God, In treating of thefe Petitions of the Lord's Prayer, I begin with the firft of them ; hallo'Wed be thy Name. And here (according to the Method be- fore laid down,) I Ihall iliew, I. What Meaning we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words in the Lord's Pray er ; hallowed be thy Name. And, IL What Duties we are inftruded in from hence. L What Senfe we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words in the Lord's Prayer ; hallowed be thy Name. And indeed this Petition feems to me the hardeft to be underftood of any in the Lord's Prayer , and the mod like to be repeated Hallowed be thy Namey explained. p j repeated by ibmc of thofe who u(e ir, without underftanding what they fay ; but neverthelefs, the Meaning of it may, I fiippole, in a very few Words, be made plain even to the meancft Capacities. In order to which it is to be noted, I. That the Name of God is moft com- monly, if not always, in holy Scripture, ftt to fignify God himfelf Thus, when 'tis faid in the third Commandment, Thou /halt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in 'vatn ; the Meaning is , that we fliould not invoke or call upon God to be aWitnefsto aVanity, or a Falfliood ; and fo when in i Kings xviii. 24. Elijah^ Ipeaking to the Priefts oiBaal^ fays. Call ye on the Name of your Gods^ and I will call on the Name of the Lord. What he meant is plainly this , that they fhould pray to their Gods to anfwer them by Fire , and that he would do the fame to Jehovah , in order to fatisfy the People, by the Succefs of their Prayers , which was the true God; the God that anfwer- eth by Fire^ let him be God, And io when 9^ Hallowed he th"^ Name ^ explained. when mTfalm xxi. i. *tis faid, The Lord hear thee in the T>ay of Trouble y the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee ; *tis evident that both thefe Clauies mean the fame thing ; fo that^ the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee^ is all one as if it had been faid , may the God of Jacob defend thee. And thus , ( to name no more Inft^nces of this,) in Exod. xxxiii. 19. when Mofes had defired to fee the Glory and Majefty of God, that is, to fee God himfelf ; he is told by God , that it was impolTible for him to be feen by mortal Eyes; but, fays God, this I will do for thee; / will make all my Goodnefs fafs before thee , and 1 will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee ; i. e, I will declare to thee in Words, what are the glorious Excellencies and Perfedtions of my Nature; for fo Ws faid in Exod. xxxiv. 5", 6, 7. where this Promife was made good to Mofes ; the Lord defend- ed in a Cloudy and food with him there, and proclaimed the Name of the Lord; and the Lord pa fed by before him , and proclaimed^ The Lord^ the Lord God^ merciful Halloived be thy NamCy explairCd, ^7 merciful and graciotis J long-fujfering^ and ubtindant in Goodnefs and Truths 8cc. And this way of fpeaking, vi^, that by the Name of God ftould be meant God himfelf 5 is not much different from our common way of fpeaking, in which, by the mention of fome Attribute or Pro- perty of a Man, we often mean his Per- fon ; or when we fay, the King's Maje- Jiy^ we mean the King ; tho' yet, in ftricSt- nefs, the Perfon of the King, and his Dig- nity or Majefty, are not the fame; and fo when we fay , his JVorJhip , his Ho- notir^ his Highnefs^ his Excellence , or the Hke, what we mean by thefe Expref- fions, is, that Perfon who is worfhipfu!, or honourable, or high, or excellent. When therefore we pray that God's Name may be hallowed, the Meaning is, that God himfelf may be hallowed. But hallowed'^ what is that? What is it to hallow God, or to hallow the Name of God ? This Word does not lels need to be explained than the other, H %. There^ 9 8 Hallowed he thy Name^ explain d. 2. Therefore 'tis to he noted, that to hallow a thing fignifies either to make it holy by a Confecration of it to religious \JkSj or elfe to ufe it as a holy thing af- ter it is fo confecrated. (i.) To hallow a thing, fignifies, prima- rily, to feparate it, or to fct it apart for facred Ufes. Thus we hallow a Church, when we Iblemnly appropriate any Edifice or Building to the Woriliip of God. Thus a Day is hallowed, when it is deftin'd and appointed to the Exercife of Religion 5 and a Perfon is hallowed , when (in the Scripture Phrafe,) he is given to the Lord, zs Samuel v^'2iSy (i Sam. \. 11.) i.e, when he is confecrated , and folemnly devoted to God's Worihip and Service. And in this Senfe the Word is plainly ufed in the fourth Commandment, where 'tis faid, in fix Days the Lord made He a- ven and Earthy the Sea^ and all that in them is , and refted the feventh "Day , wherefore the Lord blejfed the Sabbath 1>ay^ and hallowed it ^ Exod. xx. ir. r God Hallowed he thy^ Name^ explain d. 99 God hallowed ir, i.e. for the Reafon be- fore mentioned ; he made a Difference be- tween that and other Days, and appoint- ed that Day, on which he himfelf had reftcd, to be kept by Men as an holy Day, in a Reft from the common Labours of Life, and in the Exercifes of Rehgion, God hallowed the feventh Day, by appro- priating it to facred Ufes, and command- ing Men to keep it holy. (i.) AftcondaryUfeof the Word, hal- low^ is to ufe as holy, a thing, which by ftich folemn Confecration or Dedication hath been feparated from common Ufes, and appropriated to God or Religion : and therefore, as God himfelf is faid to have hallowed the Sabbath Day , io he did likewife command Men to hallow it, as you may fee in Je?\ xvii. ^^. Hallow ye the Sabbath T>ay ^ as I commanded your Fathers. But the way wherein God did hallow" \i^ and that wherein Men are to hallow it, are clearly different; God hallowed the Sabbath, when he fet it apart, and loo Hallowed be thy Name ^ explained. appropriated it to religious Ufes ; when he commanded it to be kept as an holy- Day to himfelf : and Men do hallow it , when they ufe it in fucb manner as they are commanded to do, when they fpend it in Religion, when they keep it as an holy Day ought to be kept. If^ fays God by the Prophet Jeremy , ( in the X4''' f. of the Chapter before cited,) ye diligent^ ly hearken tinto mey to bring in no Bur- den thro' the Gates of this City on the Sabbath T)ay^ but hallow the Sabbath *Dayy to do no Work therein ; then jhall there enter into the Gates of this City Kings^ &c. The Qiieftion therefore is, in which of thefe two Scnfcs the Word hallow is ufed, in this Petition of the Lord's Prayer ; hal- lowed he thy Name \ whether we mean thereby to wilh or dcfire that God's Name, i: e, (as was laid before,) that God him- felf may be holy, or elfe that he may be treated as holy ; and 'tis plain that it can- well be underftood in the firft Senfe. For what is already, and can never be other- wife than it is, cannot be a proper Subjeo&rine^ for Reproof for Corrections and for hiftru^ion in Righteoufnefs , that the Man of God may be perfect y throughly furnijhed unto all good Works. I i And 1 1 8 Hallowed be thy Name^ explained. And we fliould do well befides , as we have Opportunity and Ability, to ftudy and to fix well in our Minds thofe Pre- cepts and Arguments whereby the Truth of Chriftianity, and the divine Authority of the holy Scripture, have with good Succefs been maintained and aflerted, m all Ages, by the Champions of Chriftia- Hity, againft all Oppofers ; that fo being Well rooted in Religion our felves, we may be the better able to convince Gain- layers ; and, as the Apojlle exhorts, I T^et. iii. 15'. may be ready always to give an Anjwer to every Man that asketh us a Reafon of the Ho^e that is in us. ' But this is not in every Man's Power ; all have riot Leifure or Parts to quah- fy themfelves thus to affert and main- tain the Honour of God, and the Truth of Religion , againd Gainlayers. I add therefore, in the third and laft Place, (3.) Another Means of gaining Glory to God from others, which all PerfonSj ^ven thofe of the mcaneft Capacities," ^ ■■ • ' may Hallowed be thy Name^ explain' cL 119 may and ought to ufe for this Purpofe ; and that is, the glorious Light of a good Example ; by which we may at once both inftrudt others in their Duty, and make them in Love with the Beauties of Virtue and Rehgion ; and fo procure Glory to God by the Converfion and Sal- vation of Me^ ; according to that Precept and Direction of our Saviour^ in Matth. V. 16. Let your Light Jo Jh'tne before Men J that they may fee your good Works ^ and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. For then God is befl glorifyed, his Name is then moft hallowed by Men, when they confefs his Power, and Great- nefs, and Dominion, by fubmitting to his Laws, and fetting themfelves to pleafe him in all things; according to that of our Saviour^ John xv. 8. Herein is my Father glorifyedj that ye bear much Fruit ; to the fame Purpofe is that of the Apoflle^ Phil. i. II. being filled with the Fruits of Righteoufnefs., which are unto the Glory and Traife of God, I 4 Thqs no Hallowed he thy Name^ explained. Thus have I (liewn what it is to hal- low the Name of God\ what we defire when we repeat this Petition, hallowed be thy Name ; and in what manner we our lelves ought to endeavour the Accom- pHQiment of our own Defires. And to the King eternal^ immortal^ in. vijible^ the only wife God^ he given by us and by all Men^ not only with our Lips^ but in our Lives ^ all Ho- nour and Glory^ now and for ever-^ more. Amen. THY gggg^§S^^^^^gS^^^gg^^^!l^ THY Kingdom Come, EXPLAINED. 121 DISCOUPvSE IV. Th'y Kmgclo77i come^ explained. Matth. vi. lo. T^y Kingdom, come, • th'j IVdl he done J m Earth as n n In Heaven. HT Kingdome come. In the Lord's Prayer, as I have alrea- dy obferved, rhcre are three principal Parts; the Preface, or Invocation; the Body of the Prayer; and the Conclufion. And the Body of the Prayer confifts of fix Petitions ; the three firft of which re- fped chiefly God's Glory, and the three laft our own Good- Thc 124 'Th^^ Kingdom come^ explain' d. The three firft, which refped chiefly | God's Glory, are thefe, hallowed be thy Name J thy Kingdom come^ and thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. Of the firft of which I difcourfed the lad time; I proceed now to the fecond, thy Kingdom' come. In fpeaking of which I fliall obferve the fame Pvlethod as before ; that is, I. I fliall explain the Meaning of it, or fliew what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds when we utter thefe Words in Pray- er ro God ; what it is which we dcfire of God when we fay , thy Kingdom come. And, II. I ill all fliew what Duties we may learn, and are inftradled in, by our Ufe of this Petition. I. I fliall explain the Meaning of it, or fliew what Senic we ought to have in our Minds when we utter thefe Words in Prayer to God; what it is which we dcfire of God when we fay, thy Kingdom come. ^ Now Thy Kingdom come^ explained. 115 Now the Kingdom of God may be un- derftood generally, or fpecially. Under- ftanding ic generally, by the Kingdom of God, is meant that fovereign Power and Dominion, which he, as the great Crea- tor of all things , hath over all his Crea- tures; upholding all things by the Word of his Power, and directing and ordering, by his wile Providence, all the Affairs of the World, according to his own Pleafure ; as 'tis faid, Tfal. ciii. 19. The Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens^ and his Kingdom ruleth over all. But, underftanding the Phrafe thus, it cannot be a proper Subjed: of Petition to God, to pray that his Kingdom may come, becaufe it is come already; for he doth now according to his WiU in the Army of Heaven^ and among the Inhabitants of the Earth , and none can Jiay his Handy or fay unto him^ what doeft thou ? as 'tis faid, "Dan, iv. 35-. And this Kingdom of God is not lately begun, but was from all Eternity, and it will continue for ever; for as 'tis laid in the f. juft before, his dominion is an everlafing "Dominion ^ and ii6 Th"^ Kingdom come^ explained. and his Kingdom is from Generation to Generation^ Pfal. cxlv. 1 3 • And the Tfal- fnift^ fpcaking of this Kingdom of God, whereby with undoubted Right, and an infinite and uncontroulable Power, he go- verns and difpofes all things according to his ow^n Will, fays, that the Lord is King for ever and ever ^ Pfal. x. 16. and thatr^^ Lord fh all reign for ever^ Pfal. cxlvi. 10; For this Kingdom of God being founded in his ovvil infinite and eternal Perfections, as it never had beginning, fo it never can' have an end ; neither is it capable of any Increafe oi Diminution; To pray therefore that this Kingdom of God may come, would not be good Senfe, for 'tis abfurd to wifh that a thing may be, which is already, and can never be other- wife than it is: Befides, our very putting up our Petm- ons to him, as God, fuppofes that he is the Sovereign Lord of all; fo that if this were the Senfe of this Petition,^ the Ground of our Petition, and the Matter of it would be inconfiftent ; for if we pray that the Kingdom of God (taking it in this Senfe,) Th'^ Kingdom come^ explained. tiy may come , we feem to fuppofe that it is not come already ; i. e. that he is not as yet fo great a King as we wilh he may be; and yet, by the very piltting up this, or indeed any other Pvcquefl: to him, as God , we muft be fuppofed to beheve that he is God ; i. e. that he is already the Sovereign Lord of the whole World, of infinite Fulnefs, Power and Perfedlion, able to grant us whatever we defire of him. And laftly, when we put up this Prayer to God, Called the Lord's Prayer, it is a thing which not only we muft be fuppos'd to believe, that his Kingdom is come, but which we alfo expreflly own and profefs our Belief of, both in the Preface of the Prayer, and in the Conclnfion of it; in the Preface, when we (lyle him, our Father which is in Heaven ; r.rid in the Conclu- fion, when we fay, for thine is the King- dom j the Tower and the Glory^ for ever and ever. It is plain therefore that The coming, or the Exiflence of God's Kingdom, taken in this Senfe, is not a proper Subjed: of Petition, but rather of Rejoicing and Gratulaticn, and Thankfgi- viBg ,- 128 Th^ Kingdom come^ explain' d. ving ; according to thofe Paflages which we meet with in the Tfalms. The Lord reigneth ; let the Earth rejoice ; let the Multitude of the IJles be glad thereof^ 7fal. xcvii. i. And again, O come let us fing unto the Lord^ let us make a joyful Noife to the Rock of our Salvation ; let US come before his Tre fence with Thankf- giving^ and make ajoiful Noife unto him with Tfalms ; for the Lord is a great God^ and a great King above all Gods ^ Tfal. xcv. T, 2, 3. And again. The Lord is greats and greatly to be praifed\ he is to be feared above all Gods^ Pfal. xcvi. 4. / htow that the Lord is greats and that our Lord is above all Gods. IVhatfoever the Lord f leafed^ that did he , in Hea- ven and Earthy in the Seas^ and all deep Tlacesj Pfal. cxxxv. 5', 6. This Kingdom of God therefore being already come, or rather, having always been, and being what will be for ever; we are ftill to ik^k , what that Kingdom of God is which we pray may come, and which confequently we muft (uppofe to be not come already, or at lead not to be yet Thy Kingdom come^ explasn'd, 129 yet fettled and eftabliilied in that FuUnefs and Perfedion which we hope it will have. And I obferved before, that the King- dom of God is fometimes taken Ipecially ; i. e. not for that Power and Sovereignty which he by Right has over all , but for that free and voluntary Subjcdion which ought to be paid him by us, and all his o- ther Creatures which he hath endued with Reafon, and a Capacity to acknowledge his Sovereignty and Dominion. And this Kingdom of God is twofold; his Kingdom of Grace, and his Kingdom of Glory: the coming of both which w^e may well enough be underftood to mean , when we put up this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, and fay, tloy Kingdom cotne. I. By the Kingdom of God, in Scripture, is oftentimes meant his Kingdom of Grace ; or the ProfefTion of the true Religion, and the Gofpel of Chriji^ and a Pradice cor- refpondent thereto ; or, in other Words, by the Kingdom of God is meant the State of the Goipel, that Kingdom which God i^xercifes peculiarly in his Church, inftrud:- K ing 130 Th^ Kinqdom come ^ explained, ing it by his Word, guiding and governing it by his Spirit, and preferving and proted;- ing it by his Power and Providence ; which is therefore hy "Divi/ies called God's Kmg- dom of Grace^ bccaufe it is founded, not in God's ab(blute Power, but in a Cove- nant of Grace confented to by both Par- ties, by which the Subjeds of this King- dom engage to take him for their God, and he engages to take them for his People ; and which h therefore calFd a Covenant of Grace, partly becaufe it it mere Grace and Favour in God, that he is pleas'd to irake any Engagement orPromife to Men ; and partly, becaufe the Conditions of this Covenant, on God's part, are very graci- ous, they are more advantagious to us than we could reafonably exped: or defire: and becaufe alfo the Conditions thereof on our Part are Hkewife very gracious, they are much eafier and gentler than God might have required of us ; and therefore the Apoftle^ fpeaking of Chriftians^ the fpfcial Subjecfts of this fpiritual Kingdom of God, iays , Rom. vi. 14. Ye are not Under the LaWy (which required ftrid and -* unfinning Th^y Kingdom come^ explained. 131 unfinning Obedience,) hit under Graces /. e. under fuch a Covenant as is gracious, and exa(3:s lefs from you than God might have done, and makes Mlowances for hu- mane Weaknels 5 and dilpenles Pardon to repenting Sinners ; and Therefore St. J chit lays, Ch. i. ^. 17. The Law was given hy Mofes^ hut Grace and Truth came by Jefus Chriji, And by the Kingdom of God, when it is taken in this Senie, may be meant either his external or his internal Kingdom. Or indeed I do not fee why we may not at the fame time underftand both of them, when there is no Reafon to reftrain it on- ly to one, as I think there is not in this Petition of the Lord's Prayer. (i.) The external Kingdom of God is the outward Profeffion of the true Religion ; in which Senfe the State of the Jews^ to whom the Law was given by Mofes^ and who for a time were the peculiar People of God, might then not improperly be called the Kingdom of God ; the reft of the World being then overlpread with K % Darknefs 1 3 i Th^ Kingdom come^ explain' d Darkncfs and Ignorance, and ferving De- vils inftead of God. But now fince the Abolition of that Law 5 and the Revelation of the Gofpel, the Chriftian Religion, or the Preaching and Profedion of the Gofpel, is the King- dom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven ; for both thefe Phrafes are ufcd in Scripture promifcuoufly : in this Senfe this Phrafe is -ukAhj St. Jolm Baptiji^ Matth.iii.x. In thofe T)ays came John the Baptift^ f reach- ing in the Wildernefs ofjudea^ and fay ^ hig^ Repent ye^ for the Kingdom of Hea- 'ven is at Hand. The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand:, i. e, the Kingdom or Reign of the Mejfah is now approaching ; that Kingdom which God will exercife among Men, by the Preaching and Mediation of his Son. And thus likcwife our Saviour ufes the Phrafe, in Matth. xxi. 43. where, having reproved the Incredulity of the Jewsy for not receiving the Gofpel which he preached, (under the Parable of an Houlholder, who fent his Servants one af- ter another, and lad of all his Son, to the Husbandmen? to whom he had let out his Vineyard^ Th^ Kingdom come^ explain' d, 133 Vineyard, to receive the Fruits thereof, and they, as faft as they came, perfecutcd and flew them, not fparing even the Son himfelf; ) our Saviour there threatens them, that as a Punifliment of their bafe and barbarous Ufage of the feveral Meflen- gers which God had fent unto them ; the Kingdom of God jhottld be taken from them. Therefore^ I fay tinto you^ the Kingdom of God jhall be taken from you j and jhall be given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof The Kingdom of God jhall be taken from you ; i. e. flnce you have been fo unfruitful under the Means of Grace, you iliall now enjoy them no longer; God hath hitherto had his vifible Church among you; he hath jhewed his Word mito Jacob , his Statutes and his Judgments unto Ijrael\ he hath not dealt fo with any Nation^ and as for his Judg- ments they have not known them^ Plal. cxlvii. 19. But now he will remove his Kingdom, i. e, his vifible Church, clfe- where ; he will call thcfe his PeopJe that were not his Teo^le^ and tkpje beloved that were not beloved-^ and you who K ^ were 134 Tk"^ Kingdom come ^ explained. were once his chofen and peculiar People he will rejcd: and call off This is plain- ly our Saviour's Meaning in that PafTage, the Kingdom of God Jhall be taken from you^ and Jhall be given to another Nati- on : 'tis as if he had faid. You fliall no lon- ger enjoy the ProfeHlon of the true Reli- gion, as you have hitherto done ; but he will make known his Will and his Law to other People, who have been hitherto ig- norant of him 5 and eftablilli his Church among them. Now if by the Kingdom of God, here in the Lord's Prayer, we underftand this external Kingdom, or the vifible Church of Chrijtj then our Meaning in this Peti- tion, when we pray that God's Kingdom may come, is this ; we defire of God that he would be pleafcd to enlarge the Bounds of his Church, that he would caufe hisGo- Ipel CO be preached, and the glorious Light thereof to iliine among all Nations; we pray that all the dark Corners of the World may fee the Salvation of God, that all the Kingdoms of this World mz^ become the Kingdorns of our Lord^ (Rev. ii. if.) and of 'Thy Kingdom come^ explain d, 135: • — ~ ■ ■' ' — — -^ of his Chriji ; and that all the People of the World, both Jews and Gentiles^ may be united in one Sheep-fold, under one Shepherd, the Lord Jefiis Chriji, Bur, (x.) By the Kingdom of God, when we mean thereby the Kingdom of Grace, we may underftand the internal and fpiritual Kingdom of Chriji \ i. e. when ChriJI does not only rule in the World, by Mens outwardly pro felling his Religion, and call- ing themfelves the Subjeds of his King- dom ; but when he alfb reigns and rules in their Hearts; when all who confefs his Name do fincerely give up themfelves to obey his Laws, and do heartily endeavour to live as becomes the Golpel of Chrtji ; when they are his Subjects, not only in Shew and Profeflion, but in Deed and in Truth ; when they are Chriji ians in Heart, as well as in Name, and fincerely pradiife the Religion which they profefs. And in this Senfe our Saviour himfelf ufes, or rather interprets this Phrafe, the Kingdom of God:, (Luke xvii. xo, xi.) when being demanded by the Tharifees K 4 when 1^6 Thy Kingdom come^ explained. when the Kingdom of God fliould come ? (which they underftood in a carnal Senfe, meaning, by the Kingdom of God, a tem- poral Kingdom upon Earth, which they thought God did intend in a fliort time to eftabhfli ; making the Jews^ under their King ihc MeJJiahj the Head of an univer- fal Monarchy ;) he anfwered them, and faid , the Kingdom of God cometh not with Obfervation ; neither jhall they fay^ lo here^ or lo there \ for behold the Kingdom of God is wtthiji you\ i. e. that is truly the Kingdom of God, when God reigns and rules in the Hearts of Men, and they do inwardly, and from the Heart, yield thcmfelves fincerely obedi- ent to him. And the fame thing is plain- ly meant by the Kingdom of God, Rom. xiv. 17. The Kingdom of God is not Meat and T)rinkj but Right eotifnefs and Teaee^ and Joy in the Holy Ghoji. Now if by the Kingdom of God, here in the Lord's Prayer, which we defire may come, we undeiftand this internal and fpiritual Kingdom of Chrijf^ whereby he rules in the Hearts of Men, fubduing their Th") Ktngdom come^ explahfd. 137 their Wills to the Obedience of Faith; then what we defire of God, when we ut- ter the Words of this Petition , is this ; that he would be plealed to grant fuch a Meafure of his Grace to all Men, and ef~ pecially to all thoie who do profels his true Religion, that they may all live an- fwerably to their ProfelTion ; that all w^ho are Members of the vifible Church or Kingdom oiChriJt^ maybe hkewife Mem- bers of his fpiritual Kingdom, may entire- ly fubmit themfelves to him in all things? and obey from the Heart all the Laws of his holy Inftitution : or, in the Words fometime ufed in our Liturgy, that the whole Church of Chrijt may be fo guided and governed by his good Sprt^ that all who ^rofefs and call themfelves Chrifti- ansj may be led into the way of Truth ^ and hold the Faith in Vnity of Spirit, in the Bond ofTeace^ and in Right e on fnefs of Life. Thus we are to pray for the coming of God's Kingdom of Grace; i.e. that all the ^ World may be brought both to the Profef- fion and Pradice of the true Religion ; that the 138 Thy Kingdom come^ explain' d. the Gofpel of Chrifl may be preached to the whole World ; and that all who hear it may heartily receive and embrace it, and lead their Lives according to it ; that they may all be, both in ProfefTion and in Truth, the Difciples of Chriji. But, ^. As God hath a Kingdom of Grace, io he hath likewife a Kingdom of Glory ; and tho' the former be (as I fuppofe) what was principally meant in this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, wherein we pray that his Kingdom may come ; yet I fee no Reafon why we may not underftand the Words in fo large a Senfe as to compre- hend this other too. Now God's Kingdom of Glory is at the end of the World, when he fliall come in Judgment to reward the Obedience of his faithful Servants ; 2,n.d in flaming Fire ^ ta take Vengeance on them that knew not God^ and obeyed not the Gofpel of our Lord Jefus Chrifl-^ when all the King- doms of the World fhall become the King- doms of our Lor d^ and of his Chrifl^ and he Ihall reign for ever ; as 'tis faid in Rev. xi. If. Th"^ Kingdom come ^ explatvid. 139 xi. 1 5. Nay, when the Son alfo himfelf jhall deliver up the Kingdom to God, e- ven the Fat her j 2inA Jhall be fubje6i ruito him that before did put all things under bimj that God may be all in all ; as 'tis laid, I Cor, xv. X4, x8. But now taking the Kingdom of God, in this Senfe, for his Kingdom of Glory; when we pray for the coming of this Kingdom of God, we cannot put up the Petition in this Senfe, abfoIut^Jy, but ia Subordination to the other Senfe of it. For to pray abfblutely that God would put an end to this State of things, that he would cut the Years of this World ihort, and haften the Day of his Vengeance , is in EfFed: to pray for the Deftrudion of Sinners ; and fuch a Petition as this, can- not be put up to God without Breach of Charity towards Men, whofe Salvation we ought to defire, and confequently ihould be glad of God's Long-liiflering towards tbem, which we hope will bring them to Repentance. And therefore we are firft to pray for the coming of God's Kingdom of Gr^c, and then for the coming of his Kingdom 1 40 Th'^ Kingdom come^ explatrfd. Kingdom of Glory ; we are firft to pray that the Golpel may be preached to, and heartily received by all ; and then, when the Number of the Elcdt is filled up, we may pray that his Kingdom of Glory may alfo come; that is, that bleflcd time, when they who are dead in the Lord fliall receive the Reward of their Labours; when the Promifes of God Ihall be made good to all his faithful Servants ; when they who liiffered for him here, ihall reign with him in his eternal Glory ; when the Glory of his Majefty, and the Wifdom of his Providence, and the Riches of his Love, and the Exadtnefs of his Juftice, fliall be made manifeft to all the World ; when the Devil fliall be for ever bound in the infernal Lake, and Sin , and Death, and all cur fpiritual Enemies, fliall be per- fedly fubducd , and utterly defl:royed ; when we fhall be made Kings and Priefts unto God, and live for ever with him in the happy Regions of unfpeakable Felicity. And this is what we ought to pray for, and earncftly to defire; for 'tis given as part of the Character of a good Chrifiian, in 7^)/ Kingdom come^ explain' d. 141 in the holy Scripture , that he waits for the coming ofourLordJeJus Chriji, i Cor, i. 7. that he looks for the Saviour^ the Lord Jefus Christ from Heaven^ Phil. ^ iii. 10. that he loves his appearing^ z Tim. iv. 8. rhat he looks for the blejfed Hojpe^ and the glorious appearing of the great God ^ and our Saviour Jefus ChriH y Tit. ii. 13. In fliort then ; when we ufe this Pafiage in the Lord's Prayer, thy Kingdom come^ this is the Senfe which we ought to have in our Minds : " May 'ft thou, O God, " who art indeed the King over all the " World, may'ft thou be owned as King " by all ; may all Mankind profcfs Sub- " jedion to thee ; and may thy Grace fo " rule in the Hearts of all, that they may " be entirely lubjedt to thee, and fincere- " ly obey thee ; and then may that blef- " fed time alio haftcn, when all who have " here owned thee for their King, fliall " reign for ever with thee in thy eveiiaft- " ing Glory." Thy Kingdom come. And now having fufficiently explained this Petition, and (hewn what Senfe we ought 142. Thy Kingdom come J expla'trCd. ought to have in our Minds, when we ut- ter thefe Words in Prayer to God ; I pro- ceed, (according to the Method before laid down,) II, To fliew what Duties we may learn, and be inftrudlcd in, and are obliged to, by our Ufe of this Petition ; thy Kingdom come\ and they are chiefly thefe which follow. I. As w^e pray that God's Kingdom may come , i. e. that the Bounds of the Chri- fiian Church may be enlarged ; we ought by all the ways we can, to endeavour the Accomplifliment of our own Petition ; for he who prays for that w^hich he will be at no Pains to compafs, may well be prefu- med not to defire what he prays for. In Compliance therefore with our own Petition, when we fay, thy Kingdom come^ we ought to ufe all the Means which are in our Power , to increafe and propagate the Chriftian Faith, and to make Profely tes to it. It: Thy Kingdom come ^ explained, 143 It was therefore a Dury fpecially incum- bent on the Apojiks and immediate Difci- jples of our Lord, to whom the Ufe of this Prayer was firft commanded, to be faith- ful and diligent in the Execution of that Commifllon which was given them by our , Lord, juft before his Alcenfion, to go in- to all the Worlds and to preach the Go- Jpel to every Creature^ Mark xvi. 15. and to difctple all Nations^ baptizing them hi the Name of the Father^ and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghojt^ teaching them to obferve all things whatfoever he had cofn- manded them^ Matth. xxviii. 19, lo. And, 'Tis (till, in order to the fame End, the Duty of all Minifters of the Gofpel , ac- cording to the Diredlion given by St,Taul to Timothy^ to preach the Word^ to be infant in Seafon and out of Seafon^ to reprove^ rebuke^ and exhort , with all Long'fu-ffering andT)o6irine^ xTim. iv. x. And laftly, it was always, and ever will be the Duty of all Chriflians^ in order to enlarge this Kingdom of God and of Chrift^ to let their Light fo foine before Men^ that others feeing their good Works ^ may glorify 1 44 Th"^ Kingdom come^ explained. glorify their Father which is in Heaven^ according to the Direction of our Savi- ottr^ in Matth. v. i6. 'Tis indeed a thing utterly inconfiftent with Sincerity, in putting up this Petition to God, that his Kingdom may come^ for any of u?, who make this a part of our Prayer, to allow our felves in any fcanda- lous Pradices, whereby the Minds of thofe who are Aliens to our holy Religion may be juflly prejudiced againft it, whereby the Enemies of God may be made to blafpheme, and by Reafbn whereof our excellent Re- ligion will be in Danger to be evil Ipoken of among the Heathens. And on the other fide, it is our indif- penfable Duty to endeavour to recom- mend our moft holy ProfeHlon to the Judg- ment and Efteem of Mankind, by a Con- verfation becoming the Gofpel of Chriji^ by a blamclefs and an exemplary Life; and by this Argument, Perlbns of all Or- ders and Degrees are frequently in holy Scripture exhorted to great Stridinefs and Regularity in their Behaviour. The aged Women are to be in Behaviour as becom- eth Th^ Kingdom come^ explain' d, 145: eth Holme fs^ that they may teach the younger JVomen to be fiber , to love their Husbands , to love their Children ; to he difireety chajie^ keepers at home^ good ^ obedient to their own Husbands :, and all this to the End that the Word of God be not blafphemed:, Tit. ii. 3, ^c. Nay, even Servants (Perfons of the mean- eft Rank , whole Converiation may be thought to be leaft regarded, whofe Mii^ behaviour may be thought the leaft fcan- dalous ; even Servants^ I lay,) are to be- have themfelves orderly and honcftly in their Stations, to count their 012: n Ma- fiers worthy of all Ho7tour^ and that to this End, that the Name of God and his ^oElrine be not blafphemed^ i Tim.vi.i. they are to be obedient tinto their own Mafters^ and to pleafe them well in all things ; not anfwering agaln^ not pur- loining^ but /hewing all good Fidelity ; and that to this Purpole, that they may adorn the T)o6frine of God our Saviour in all things, Tit. ii. 9, '^c. 'And 'tis the Duty of dll Chrifians whatfoever, as we are taught by St. Teter, i Epift. iii. if, 16. L to 1^6 Th^} Kingdom come ^ explained to fan6tify the Lord God in their Heart s^ — and to ketf a good Cojifcience ; that they that /peak Evil of them as Evil- doers^ may be ajhamed^ when it Ihall ap- pear that they do falfely accufe their good Converfation in Chriji : 'tis the Duty of all Chrijiiansy to have their Converfati- on honejt among the Gentiles ^ that even thoie who fpeak againji them as Evil- doers^ may J by their good Works which they /hall behold, glorify God\ as we are taught by the fame Apofle, in the fecond Chapter of that Epjllc^ at the ii'^ f. It was this, I mean the holy and blame- lefs, and exemplary Lives of the Apoftles, and fiift Converts to Chriftianity, which was in great Meafure the Caufe of its Ipreading fo fafl as it did at firft ; and with- out this, all the Zeal of the Jpo/iles 'm preaching theGolpel, and all the Miracles whereby their Preaching and I'eflimony was confirmed would have availed but little. For Men may be zealous in a bad Caufe as well as in a good one ; for thus the Tha- rifees did com^ajs Sea and Land to make one 'ProfelytCy only to make him twofold more Th'y Kingdom come^ explain' d. 147 the Child of Hell than rhcnifelves ; as our Saviour o\>kx\t% Matth.wm.i^. And Miracles may be, and have been wrought for the Confirmarion of a falfe Worlhip, as is intimated both by Mofes^ T>eut. xiii. i^z. and by our Saviour ^ Matth. xxiv. 24. So that whether any ReHgion be from God, cannot be certainly known by the Zeal of Men to promote it, or by the feeming Wonders which are wrought to confirm the Truth of it: but if the Caufe which Men are zealous for, be apparently good, and the Dodrine for the Confirmation whereof Miracles are wrought^ be filch as plainly tends to purify Men's Hearts, and to reform their Lives ; and if it be evi- dent that all who embrace it are render'd better Men by it; there can then be no reafonable Sufpicion of any worldly De- fign in the Promoters of fuch a Religion, or of any diabolical Illufion in the work- ing of fuch Miracles: but as the Miracles do bear Witnefs to the Truth of the Do- (Strine, fo the Purity of the Religion does no lefs bear Witnefs to the Truth of the Miracles ; and both together are luch an L X Attefta- 48 Th"^ Ktngdoin come^ explained. Atteflation to the Truth and Divinity of the Rehgion, as cannot reafonably be ex- cepted againft. And by the fame Means by which this Kingdom of God in his Church was at firfl: fet up, by the fame (fo far as they are in our Power,) miift it be upheld and maia- rain'd; I fay, fo far as they are in our Pow- er ; and therefore it having feemed good to the divine Wifdom, after that the Qhri- Jlian Reh'gion had been once well proved by Miracles, and the Hiftory thereof had been once publilhed, and generally receiv'd in the World, to withdraw the extraordi- nary Power of Miracles, as being no lon- ger needful ; the only Means whereby we can now contribute towards the uphold- ing and eftabliihing this Kingdom of God in the World, is by Zeal in maintaining the Truth of our Religion, againft vain Dilpu- ters ; and efpecially by a remarkable Stridl- nels and Sandtity of Life. And this mofl certainly will be an efFecStual Means to make our Religion be Ipread and propagated in the World, if by the Holinefs and Exem- plarinefs of our Lives, we can make it appear Thy Kmgdom come ^ explam'd, 149 that the Religion which we profeis is more excellent than any other. Thus, as we pray that the Kingdom of God may come, /. e. that his true Worlhip and Re- ligion may be propagated in the World , and that all Nations of the Earth may come into theBofom of the Church, we are to endeavour the fame by jhinhig as Lights in the World-^ and by proving to all, the Excellency of our holy Religion, by the Purity and Excellency of our own Lives, led exadlly according to the ftrid: and per- fed: Precepts thereof But, 2. As we pray that God's Kingdom may come, viz^. that Kingdom of God which is within us ; /. e, that God may rule in the Hearts of all thofe who do confeft him with their Mouths ; it is our Duty , and what in Compliance and Conformity to our own Petition we ought to do, to give him our own Hearts, to yield our felves, without any Referve, to believe whatever he has revealed, and to do whatfoever he has enjoined. L 3 For 150 7^3; Kingdom come J explained. For the chief Enemies to this Kingdom of God within us, and which hinder it from being eftabhllied ; I fay , the chief Enemies to this Kingdom of God are hke- vvife within us ; they are the naughty De- fires and Inclinations of our own Hearts ; the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God^ becaufe they are fpirttually difcerned\ the car- nal Mindy is Enmity againfl God^ for it is not ftibjeci to the Law ofGod^ nei- ther indeed can be. Thefe Enemies, there- fore, of God*s Kingdom, it i^ our part to fight againft, thereby to promote, as much as in us lies, the Accomplifliment of our own Petition. And 'tis not enough for us, in this Cafe, to pray that God's King- dom may come, to implore his Grace to fanclify us , and redeem us from our Sins and Corruptions ; but w^e muft work toge- ther with it, and fet our felves as flrenu- oufly to mortify all our carnal AtFed:ionS) and corrupt Inclinations, as if we had no Help but from our felves : and then thus praying, and thus endeavouring, thus pro- curing by our Prayer God's Grace to work in Th'y Ktngdom come^ explavnd, i j i in us, and thus working our felves toge- ther with the divine Grace, both our En- deavours will be fuccefsful, and our Prayers alfo availing, and the Kingdom of God will come; it will be fet up and eftablifh- ed within our Hearts: for, as xht JpoJIle fays, 2 Cor. x. 4, $. The JVeapoits of our Warfare are not carnal^ but mighty thro' God, to the fulling down of Strong-holds j cafiing down Imaginations ^ and every high thing that exalteth it felf againji the Knowledge of God^ a^td bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience ofChriJi, 3. Laffly ; when we fay thy Kingdom come^ we mean thereby not only God's Kingdom of Grace, but likewifc his King- dom of Glory ; we pray not only t!ut the Bounds of his Church may be enlarged, that he may have ih^ Heathen for his In- heritance^ and the utmoji Tarts of the Earth for his TofeJJion^ and that he may reign and rule in the Hearts of all rhole who profefs Subjecflion to hiia; buc we pray like wife, (as 'cis exprcfs'a m one < f L 4 lb- I 5 1 Th^ Kingdom come^ explained. the Colledts of our Church, appointed to be ufed at the Burial of the Dead ; we pray, I fay,) that having accomflijhed the Number of his Eleft^ he would alfo ha- Jten his Kingdom ; that fo we^ with all thofe that are departed in the true Faith of his holy Name , may have our perfeEi Confummation and Bl'ifs^ both in Body and Souly in his eternal and everlajiing Glory. And when we pray that God's Kingdom of Glory may come, the Duty which the Petition, taken in this Senfe, inftrucSls us in, and entorces upon our Pradtice, is to be diligent in preparing our felves for this Kingdom of God; thatfo, when our Lord comes CO take upon him this Kingdom, we may be provided to receive him, and in a fit Condition to enter with him into it. Seeing that ye look for fuch things^ (faith St. Teter^ x Tet, iii. 14. when he had been fpeaking of the coming of this great 'Day of God, wherein the Heavens Jhall fafs away with a great Noife^ and the Elements jhall melt with fervent Heat\ the Earth alfo^ and the Works that Th^ Kingdom come^ explained. 153 that are therein, Jhall be burnt up, and we, according to his Tromife, look for a new Heaven and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Right eoufnefs, feeing, fays he, that ye look for fnch things-, and I think it may be faid much rather, feeing that ye pray for fuch things, and are endeavour- ing by your own Petitions to haften the coming of this great Day of God ;) be di- ligent , that when he comes , ye may be found of him in'Peace, without Spot, and hlamelefs. They who Hve here without any Senfe of Rehgion, may plead, when that Day Hiall come upon them, that they were lurprized by a Judgment which they looked not for; but we who pray, every Day , that God's Kingdom may come , fliall not be able fo much as to pretend that we were not aw^are of its coming; and fo fliall be of all others the mod inex- cufable, if we are not prepared for it. Let then our Loins be always girded about , and our Lights always burning, and we our fe Ives like unto Men that wait for their Lord, that when he cometh and knocketh, we may open unto him immedi- 3 ately^ 1 54 Thy Kingdom come ^ explain d, atelyy Luke xiii. 35-, ®f. This is the good LefTon we ^re reminded of, every time we repeat this Petition ; and blcjf^d are thofe Servmts^ whom the Lord^ when he comethy jhaU find watching^ ^, 37. If we are always in this Pofture, w^e may fay this part of our Lord s Prayer with true Devotion, and with an earneft Longing and Defire of the Accompli ih- ment of our own Wiflies ; and then, when we fee this Day a coming, we may lift up our Heads with Joy y knowing that our Redemption draweth nighy Lukexxi. i8. But to them who live in Wickednefs and Uncleannefs, or in Riot and Excefi, beat- ing their Fellow-Servants, and eating and drinking with the Drunken; the Day of the Lord, without their wifliing, will come too foon ; the Lord of fuch Servants will come in a T>ay when they look not for him^ and in an Hour that they are not aware of^ and will cut them afun- dery and appoint them their Tort ion with Hypocrites ; there /ball be weeping and gnajlnngofTeethy Match. xxiv. 5-0. And to luch as thefe, who live without a true and Th^ Kingdom come^ expla'trfd. 155 and ferious Senfe of God and Religion, and yet, for Form and Cuftom-fake, pray with the Church, and fay every Day, thy Kingdom come^ the Prophet Amos gives a very jufl and feafonable Reproof; Amos V. 18, ®r. Wo unto you that dejire the ^ay of the Lord% to what End is it for you ? The T>ay of the Lord is T)arknefsy and not Light ; as if a Man did flee from a Lyon , and a Bear met him ; or went into the Houfe^ and leaned his Hand on thelVallj and a Serpent bit him. Shall not the T>ay of the Lord be TDarknefs^ and not Light ? Even very dark,, and no Brightnefs in it ? I conclude all therefore with theje Words of the Apofile^ Rom. xiii. II, '^c. The Night is far ffent^ the T^ay is at Hand^ (that great Day of the Lord, when we muft give an Account of all our Works, it is at hand, it is very near approaching ;) let us therefore cajl off the Works of "Darknefs^ and let us put on the Armour of Light, Let us walk honejily^ as in the T)ay,, not in Rioting and "Drunkennefs, not in Cham- bering sf6 Thy Kingdom come^ explam'd. bering and Wantonnefs^ not in Strife and Envying ; hut fut ye on the Lord Jefus Chrtji ^ and make not Trovi- fan for the Flejh , to fulfil the Lujis thereof THY e550S(S(»Saj5£5SSKSfflCeK!a2Qea«^^ THY Will be done, &c, EXPLAINED. ^^SSfSS^SSfismS^^fSS^fS^SSffS^S^^SXSfS^ 159 DISCOURSE V. Th^ Will be clonCy &c. explained. Matth. vi. lo. Thy Wtll be done^ m Earth as tt is in Heaven. H E Prayer raught here by our Saviour ro his Difciples, con- fids (as I have formerly no- ted) of three principal Parts ; I. A Preface, containing a fblemn Invoca- tion of Almighty Go J, Our Father which art in Heaven : II. The Body of the Pray- er, confifting of fix diftind; Petitions: and III. The Conclufion of it; containing, I. A Doxology, or folemn Recognition 4 of i6o Thy Will be done^ &c. explained. of the Greatnefi andMajefty of God, thine is the Kingdom^ the Tower and the Glo- ry^ for ever and ever\ and, i. A Profef- fion of our hearty AfTent to every Claufe of the foregoing Prayer, and of our Faith and Truft in God, in the Word, Amen. And the firft part of this Prayer, viz. the Preface, containing (as I faid,) a fb- lemn Invocation of Almighty God, whom we are taught to call, Our Father which is in Heaven^ I have formerly dilcourfed of; fliewing the Meaning thereof, and w^hat Duties it inftrucSs us in, and obliges us to. I have likewife already cntred upon the fecond Part, viz. the Body of the Prayer, confifting (as I told you,) of fix feveral Petitions, three of them chiefly regarding God's Glory, and the other three of them chiefly refpe61:ing our own Good. And the two firfl of thefe, hallowed be thy Name., and thy Kingdom come., I have likewife already diicourfed of. In fpeak- ing of both which, I have ihewed you, firfl, what we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words m Prayer to God; Th^ JVtll be done^ &c. explahi'cL i^i God; and fecondly, what Duties we may learn, and are inftruded in, by our Uie of thefe Petitions. I proceed now to difcourfe of the third Petition, in the fame Method ; thy Will be done in Earthy as it is in Heaven. I. Then, I am to declare the Meaning of thefe Words, or to fliew what Senie we ought to have in our Minds, when we re- peat this Claufe or Petition of the Lord's Prayer; thy Will be done in Earthy as it is in Heaven. Now the Will of God is two-fold ; the Will of his Counjel or Trovidence^ and the Will of his 'Precefts or Commands \ both which we pray, in this Petition, may be done. I. By that /Fi// of God, which we pray may be done, we may underftand the Will of his Counfel or Providence ; /. e. that Will of God, by which he orders and dif- pofes every thing in the World, as it plea- fes him, working all things according to the Counfel of his own Will^ Eph. i. ir. M And i6i Thy IVtll he clonCj &c. explairfd. And thus, whatever falls out in the World is the Will of God, and there is no Event which comes to pafs, no Accident which happens, but what is agreeable to God's Will, and is brought to pafs by the Order- ing and Difpofition, by the Operation or PermifTion of his Providence; for he doth according to his Will in the Army of He a- ven^ and among the Inhabitants of the Earthy and none canffay his Hand^ or fay unto him^ -what doe ft thou? as 'tis faid, T>an. iv. 30. And whatfoever the Lord f leafed^ that did he in Heaven^ and in Earthy andinthe Seas^ and in all deep "Places^ fays the Tfalmift, Pfal. cxxxv. 6. But now, if it be fo, that God does al- ways order every thing according to his own Pleafure; if, as the ic'i/^ Af^;/ fays, Trov. xix. 21. Whatever T)evices there are in the Heart of Man^ the Connfel of the Lor d^ that jhallftand. If, whatever Oppofition be made to him, he will yet bring to pafs whatever he purpofes, what need we then make this the Subjed: of our Petition ? We need not lurely pray for that, which will certainly be whether we pray Thy Will be done^ &c. explain' d, 163 pray for it or no ; if therefore whatGod wills be always done, what need we pray that his Will may be done ? For who hath re- fifted his JVill, as the Apofile fpeaks? Rom. ix. 19. And, the Lord of Hojfs hath pirpofed^ faith the Prophet, and who Jhall dif annul it ? And his Hand is firetched out^ and who fl)all turn it back ? Ifaiah xiv. 27. I anfwer ; if we underftand this by the Will of God^ in this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, viz,, the Execution of his Purpofe and Counfel, then when we pray, that his Will may be done, we do not mean that it may be done by himfelf, but that it maybe done us; i.e. we do not pray that God may do what he pleafes, but that what pleafes God , and what he does ac- cording to his own Pleafure, may pleafe us too. When we pray that God's Will may be done, (meaning thereby the Will of his Counfel, or Providence;) ourWifli and Defire is, that we our felves, and all Men may peffedly acquiefce in, and be fully iacisfyed with whatfoever God fliall pleafe to order for us ; for then we do this M % Will (^4 T^h'^ JVill be done^ Sec. explairfd. Will of God, when we patiently fuffer it, and in all the Accidents which befall us, whether they be pleafing or ungrateful, profperous or adverfe, can heartily join in that Saying of good old £//, r Sam. iii. lo. It is the Lord\ let htm do what feemeth him good. Or elfe, taking the Will ofGnd dill in tliis Senfe, for the Will of his Counfel or Trovidence\ I think this Claufe in the Lord's Prayer, thy Will be done^ may be yet better underflood, as an AEi of Sub- mijjion ziidiRe^gnation to the Will of God, rather, I fay, than as a Wifli or Petition. Thus the Phrafe is ufed in j^^s xxi. 14. where, after the Chrijiians who were with St. Taul had in vain endeavour'd to per- fjade him not to go up to Jerufalejn^ be- caufe that there (as it had been foretold by Agabiis^) Bonds and Ajfli^iions did a- bide him^ it is faid by S\:.Luke^ and when he would not be perfitaded^ we ceajedj faying^ the Will of the Lord be done ; i, e. " If it muft be fo, if it be rhe Will of " God that thou iliould'ft go up to Jeru- ^' falem J and fuffer there thole things ^ which Th^ Wtil be dovie^ &c. explain' d, i6y " have been foretold, fb be tt^ we are " contented y we fnbmit to this Will of " God^ we acqtiiefce in his good Tlea- " /lire , we are fatisfyed that it jhould *•' be as it fleafes him.'' And in the fame Senfe our Saviour himfelf ufed this very iame Phrafe, in Prayer to God, when he was in his Agony in the Garden , the Even- ing before his Crucifixion, Matth. xxvi. 4x. He prayed^ faying^ O my Father ^ if this Cup may not pafs away from me^ except I drink it^ thy Will be done ; i. e. I fubrnit ; I am content to do it; I refign my felf wholly to thy Pleafure, to luffer whatever thou fhalt think fit to lay upon me. For that this was our Saviour's Meaning in thofe Words, thy Will be done^ appears plainly from the 39^^ if. of that Chapter, where the fame Prayer of our Lord is thus related; O my Father^ ifitbepojjible^let this Cup pafs from me \ neverthelefs^ not as I will^ but as thou wilt ; where thele laft Words, neverthelefs not as I will^ but as thou wilty are manifeftly an AEi^ or an Exprejfion of his Rejignation of him- felf to God's Will and Pleafure, and is thus M 3 expreffe^ l66 Tfjy Will he done^ &c. explained. expreflcd by St. Luke^ Neverthelefs not my Willy but thine be done ^ Lukexxii.4x. When therefore we fay the fame Words in the Lord's Prayer, thy Will be done^ it is very proper for us at all times, but then efpecially when we are under any Afflid:i- pn, or have a Fxofpcd: of fome fore Evil like to befall us, to ufe them in the fame Senfe in which our Lord then did ; i. e. to corapofe our felves thereby to a patient Suffering of the Will of God, to mean them as an Ad of Refignation of our felves to his good Pleafure. But, -L. There is another Branch of God's Will, which I called before the Will of his Precepts or Commands; that is, that Will of his which he has declared to us, which he has given us as a Rule to walk by ; for what God has enjoin'd us, that is his Will we Ihould do. Thus our Sa- viour fays of himfelf. Job, vi. 38. Him that cometh to me I will in no wife caft out \ for I came down from Heaven^ not to do my own Will^ but the Will of htm that fent me ; and this is the Father's Will Th'^ Will he clone J &c. explain' d. 167 Will which hath fent me, that of all which he hath given me, I Jhould lofe no- thing. And this (we are told by the A- foJIle,J is the IV ill of God, even our San- Bification, i ThefT. iv. 3. And 'tis this Will of God which I r-jjce to be chiefly- meant in this Petition, and which we pray may be done. And underftanding the Will oi God, m this Senfe, there are two things which we pray for in this Petition, both m the Be- half our felves, and in the Behalf of o- thers. (i .) We pray that God would be plea- fed to make known his Will to us and to all Men, that we may not be unwife, but underfianding what the Will of the Lord is, as the^i^T?/^ ipeaks, £^/:?. V. 17. That we may f^rove what is that good and ac^ ce ft able, and perfect Will of God, as 'tis faid, Rom. xii. x. Becaufe unlefs we know what the Will of God is, and what things he would have us do, we fliall not know how to fet our felves to the Per- formance thereof, M 4 (x.) We V 1(58 T^'v fFtll he done^ &c. explained. (i.) We pray alfo , that having made known his Laws to us, he would be plea- fed to give us his Grace obediently to keep the fame ; for then this Will of God is done by us, when we do what he com- mands us ; when we obey all his Precepts, and when we order all our Converfation aright, and according to the Rules and Dircdtions which he has prefcribed. And therefore, that we our felves, and all o- ther Men, may always do thus , is what we are to be underftood to mean , when we pray that his IVill may be done in Earth. But it follows in the Prayer, as it is in Heaven ; thy Will be done in Earthy as it is in Heaven ; /. e. May thy Will be done and performed by us Men, who live now here upon the Earth, as it is by thy holy Angels which are in Heaven ; of whom the holy TfalmiH fays, '^faL ciii. 2.o,xi. x}i\2X they do his Commands ^, heark- fling unto the Voice of his Wordy and that they are the Minifiers of Gody that do his Tleafure. But Th'j Will he done^ Sec. expla'm'd. 169 But there are {bme fpecial Conditions, or Qualifications, of the Obedience of the holy Angels to theWill of God, which help to render it more grateful to him, and better accepted by him, than otherwife it would be : thefe therefore we pray , in this Petition, may be imitated by Men on Earth, in their doing the Will of God, when we pray that his Will may be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. And this I take to be the Meaning of the Word as ; as it is in Heaven. This as denotes a Likenefs only, not ^n Equa- lity ; for we can't be fuppos'd to pray that the Will of God may be done as perfecStly by Men as it is by Angels ; that the Obe- dience of Men, in this mortal and finful State, ihould be as fpotlefs and untainted as that of the holy Spirits in Heaven is : for fuch Obedience as they yield to the Will of God, is fo much beyond what we are able to yield, while we are here m the Body ; that we can hardly pray with Faith, that ours may be exadtly fuch, that it may be in no Refped inferior to theirs : but ours may be as good as it can be in this frail 17 o TkylVillhe done^ &c. explain' d. frail and degenerate State; our Obedience may be like theirs, rho' not equal to it; ours may be, tho' not fo perfeti^ yet fo qualified and conditioned as theirs is ; and that fuch, it may be, we defue of God in * this Petition. Particularly, i/?. As in Heaven there are no rebelli- ous Spirits mixt with ti^e holy Angels, (for the Angels 'wh/ch kept not their fir ft Eftate^ have alfo left their own Habita- tion , and are referved in everlafting Chains^ under T>arkiiefs^ unto the Judg- ment of the great T)ay, as St. Jude tells us, in the 6'^ f. of his Epiftle; fo that there are now none in Heaven, who gain- fay or oppofe the divine Pleaiure;) fo we pray that it may be on Earth ; /. e. that the whole Race of Men may be a willing and obedient People; that all Vice and Wickednefs may be aboliflied, and rooted out of the Earth ; that thofe Days may come which have been foretold long ago by the Prophets, when they Jhall not teach every Man his Neighbour^ and every Man his Brother^faying^ know the Lord^ for all Jhall Th'^ Wtll he done^ &c. explained. 171 jhall know me ^ from the leaH unto the greateH^ Jer, xxxi. 34. For the Earth Jhall be full of the Knowledge of the Lordy as the IVaters cover the Sea^ Ifaiah xi. 9. %dly. Whatever the holy Angels do, in Obedience to the Commands of God, they do it with a good lVill\ they not only do what they are commanded , but they are plealed with the Command ; they obey cheerfully, and from the Heart, without any Relucftancy , without any Spice of Unwiliingnels, or the leaft Degree of A- verfion to the Bufincfs they are employ'd about : they not only do the Will of God, but they delight to do it ; they undertake their Work, not as a Task, but as a Plea- fore: and therefore that w^e, and all the Inhabitants of the Earth may do lb too , is another thing which we defire of God in this Petition. idly. As a Fruit of this Heartinefs in their Obedience, whatever they are com- manded they undertake readily ; they need aot be often urged , or frequently called upon ^7^ Thy fVill be done^ &c. explam'd, upon to do this Work ; but the leafl: Inti- mation ©f God's Pleafiire prefently fets them to it. That we therefore may do f o too, that we may obey re-adily, and without Delay take in Hand the Work which God has given us to do, is another thing which we beg of God in this Pe- tition. ^thly. As they readily undertake, fo they like wife Jpeedily execute whatever they are commanded ; they are the wing= ed MefTengers of God, and when they are fent they run ; when they are bid to go, they fly ; they fet about their Work fo quickly, and dilpatch it fo nimbly, that the Space of Time between God's giving his Command, and their executing it, is hardly perceptible. Thus when Cornelius prayed, and an Angel was fent unto him by God, to tell him that his Prayers were heard, and his Alms accepted, and to or- der him to fend for St. Teter to be inflrudl- ed by him in the Chriftian Religion ; all this was done, the Meflage was both fent from God, and delivered to him by the Angel, Thy Will be done^ &c, explained, 173 Angel, before he had ended his Prayer ; as you may fee, A6ts x. 30. That we therefore may fo run the JVay of God's Commandments^ and with the hkc Speed and Diligence finilh the Work which is gi- ven us to do, is what we farther defire of God in this Petition, when we fay, thy Will be done in Earthy as it is in Heaven, $thly. And laftly ; as the Obedience of the holy Angels is hearty and chearful, prompt and fpeedy , fb it is likewife uni- verfal. They never decline any Work which they are fet to ; whatever it is that they are forbidden to do, it is all alike to them; they make no Difference, but as readily undertake one thing as another ; they have no Will of their own, diftind: from, and much lefs oppofiteto, the Will of God ; but what God wills, they will too ; and immediately fet themfelves to execute his Commands. Thus is God s Will done in Heaven by the holy Angels, and thus we pray that ic may be done in Earth by our felves, and by all Men, when we ufe this Paflage of the 174 Thy Will he done^ 8cc. explain'' d. the Lord's Prayer. So that the full Senfe? of this Petition, (underftanding by the^ Will of God , both the Will of his Tro- vidence^ and the Will of his Trecepts ; ) and the Meaning which we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words, is this ; " Righteous art thou , O Lord^ and upright are all thy Judgments^ and theTeflimonies that thou haH command- ed are alfo righteous^ and very faithful % may we, therefore, and all Men, always meekly fubmit our felves to thy Difpofal ; " may we always be well content and fa- " tisfyed with that Lot and Portion w^hich " thou affignefl: to us ; and whatever Com- *' mands thou art at any time pleafed to " lay upon us, may they univerfally be ^^ fubmitted to, by all ; and grant that we " may perform them , with fuch Hearti* " nefs and good Will, with fuch Readinefs " and Cheerfulnefs, with fuch Speed and " Impartiality, as the holy Angels in Hea- « ven do." And now, having explained the Mean- ing of this Petition, I proceed, as I pro- pGs'd in the fecond Place, II. To Thy Wdl be done^ &c. explain' d. 17 j II. To fhew whar good LefTons we are taught, what Duties we are inftrud:cd in, and engag'd to , by our Ufc of this Peti- tion, thy Will be done in Earthy as it is in Heaven. And, T. Taking the Will of God, in the firft Senfe, for the Will of hisCounfel or Pro- vidence; the Duty we are inftrudted in, and reminded of by our Ufe of this Peti- tion, is to fubmic our felves entirely to God's Will; to be contented with our Lot ; to like well that Place and Station which the Providence of God affigns us ; and to be eafy and patient under all the Calamities and AfTlidions which befall us in this Life ; whatfoever pieales God, Ihould pleafe us too ; and we fhould always reft fatisfycd, that what he orders for us is beft. And we conrradidt our felves, and ad: inconfiftenrly with our own Petition, if, while we pray that God's Will may be done, we fret and murmur at any of ihe Difpenfations of his Providence towards us, or cavil at, and find Fault with , bis ordering 176 Th^ Will he done^ &c. explain' d. ordering and Adminiftration of things; for he worketh all things according to the Counfel of his own Will^ as the Afoftle fays ; and what is according to God's Will^ is hkevvife according to our own Defire ; for we pray that his Will may be done\ Xvhat Reafon then can we have to com- plain, when things fall out according to our own Wiflies ? And unlefs the Event of things, which is always according to the Will of God, be like wife pleafing to us, we are guilty of foul DifTimulation and Hypocrily with God, when we pray that his Will may be done. And there is Reafon good, that we fliou'd be of this quiet, compofed, and content- ed Spirit ; there is fufficient Reafon impli- ed even in the Petition it fcif, to oblige us to be always thus eafy and fatisfyed with the divine Adminiftrations ; for the Will which we defire may be done, or which we declare our Acquiefcence in, is God's^ ; thy Will be done. And he is a Being of infinite Wildom; he knows before-hand what will be the If fae and Event of all his Adminiftrations ; and Th^ Wtll be done y &c. explain' cl, 177 and he underflands exadly what is befl for the World, and for every particular Man in it ; and is able fb to contrive and order things, that what feems evil and ad- verfe, fliall work for good at the laft: whereas on the contrary , we underftand very little of the Nature and Tendency of things, or indeed even of our own Tem- pers and Conftitutions. We neither know what is beft in it felf, nor what is beft for us ; we oftentimes wilh for our felves thole things , which \i we had them would be our Ruin ; and are fometimes fenfible af- terwards of the Kindnefs , as well as of the Wifdom of God, in denying us thofe things which we (perhaps with too much Urgency and Importunity;) did requeft of him. And we as little know what is bad for us ; we are apt to fret and com- plain when ever any thing crofs or adverle happens to us, and yet afterwards we often fee Reafon to (ay with the Tfalmijl^ It is good for us that we have been in Trouble. Seeing therefore that God knows always both what is beft, and how beft to bring N ic 78 Th'^ Will he done, &c. explatricL it about, it is very reafonable for us to fubmit to his Will; efpecially, Seeing he is as good and gracious as he is wife ; all his Thoughts towards us are kind, and he defigns our Good by all the Difpenfations of his Providence : con- fidering which , ^^e may be always well aflured , that whatever he chufes and or- ders for usj tho' it be not to our prefent liking 5 is more for our Good than any thing we could have chofen for our felves. So that we may with good Reafbn live more at Eafe, freer from Care and Fear, under the Care and Protec5tion of his good Providence , than we could do , if we might have our own Wiflies and Defires in every thing ; and we do indeed wifli the beft which we can for our felves, when we fay, not our Wtll^ but thine be done. But, X. Taking the Will of God in the other Senfe, for the Will of his Precepts or Com- mands, there are likewife feveral tilings which we may learn and be inftruded in , by Thy IV til he done^ &c. explain' d. 17^' by our Ufe of this Petition ; thy TVM be done. For, (i.) Being here taught by our Saviour to make it a Matter of Prayer to God, that his Will may be done; that xs,^ that he would pleafe to give us his Grace to do thofe things which he requires of us. We may hence be admonifhed, that we can't of our leives do the Will of God as we ought to do, nor perform acceptable Obedience to him, without the divine Grace and Af- fiftance : ^ for we need not be beholden to another for that which is in our own Pow- er ; we need not ask that of another, which we our felves can do without his Help. Being therefore here taught to pray every Day for the divine Grace, to enable us to do the Will of God, we are hereby re- minded of our own Weaknefs and Impo- tence ; that we can neither begin a good Work without the Motion of the a Quii ftu1tiu<: .quam orare ut facias, quod in pote- ftate habcair Aug, de Kat, or Grand. Caj>. i8. in Brug. N % holy i8o Th^ Will be done^ Sec. explahfd. holy Spirit, nor make any Progrefs in Ho- linefs and Virtue , without frelh Supplies of the divine Grace, according to that of the Apoftle,. Thil. ii. 13. It is God that worketh inyou^ both to will and to do of his good Tleafiirc. Our BeHef of this Truth, that we can do nothing well of our felves, without the Help of God, is plainly the Ground of this Petition ; and this we do tacitly , and by Implication , acknowledge to God every time we repeat it. When we pray to God to give us his Grace, to do his Will, we own and con- fels that we are not fufficient of our felves to do anything as of our felvesy but that our Sufficiency is of God ^ as the Afoflle fays, -L Cor. iii. 5-. And the Confideration of the Neceflity of the divine Grace, to enable us to do the Will of God, ought in Reafon to make us diligent and conftant in imploring it ; according to that Dired:ion which is given us by our Saviour^ Luke xi. 9, ©r. Ask^ and it fhall be given you ; fiek^ and ye jh all find \ knocks ait d it fhall be opened unto you:- forifye^ being evil-, know how T^y JVill be done J &c. explain' d. 1 8 1 ho^jv to give good Gifts unto your Chil- dren^ how much more Jh all your heaven- ly Father give the holy Sjjirit to them that ask him ? (2.) Being here taught by our Saviour^ to implore the Affiftance of the divine (jrace, to enable us to do the Will of God, we may hence conclude that God requires nothing more of us, in order to render our felves accepted to him, than we are able, by the Affiflance of the divine Grace, to perform. For certainly our Saviour would not teach us to pray for a thing which caat be ; nay, he himfelf has told us that one of the Conditions of a prevailing Prayer to God, is to believe that our Re- queft will be granted ; ii/^r. xi.24. JVhat- foever things ye defire when ye pray ^ be- lieve that yc receive them^ and ye Jl?all have them : but if the Matter of our Re- queft be impolnble^ we can't believe that it will be granted. Being therefore here taught by our Saviour ^ to pray that God's Will may be performed by us, it is certain- ly poffiblc that it may be performed, tho' N 3 not 1 8 2 Th^ IVtll he done^ &:c. explain' d. not perfedly, tho' not without much Mix- ture of hnmane Frailty and Imperfedion ; yet at leafl: with Sincerity, and in fuch manner, as God, confidering our Infirmity, will for Chrift's Sake gracioufly accept. And the Confideration of this, that God requires nothing of us , but what by the Affiflance of his Grace he will enable us to perform, is a good Fncouragement to us to fct about our Work with Chcerful- nefs and Vigour, and to keep us from ever being daunted or difcouraged, by anyDif- |icu!ry or Oppoficion which we may meet with in the doing of it ; confidering how mightily we are alTifted by the divine Grace, we may fay with the Appftle^ that v^tpaii do all things thro' Chrijl that Jirengthneth US; and fectingto cur Work with Courage, and good hope of Succefs, we iball find the Difficulty thereof niuch lefs than wc feared, (3.) As we pray, fo we ought likewife ;o pradifc. If i hcrcforc we do eameftly de- lire ihat the Will of God may be done, we ihali alio Garneftly endeavour the Acccm- plilhment Th^ Will he done^ &c. expla'm'd. 183 pliiliment of our own Petition ; and in or- der to this, we iliallufe all Diligence to acquaint our felves with the Will of God ; by conflant reading in the holy Scripture, in which the whole Will of God is plainly revealed, and w^hich is able to make ns wife unto Salvation. Being defirous to walk in the way of God's Commandments, we fliall be careful to guide cur lelves by the Diredion of his holy IVord^ which, as the Tfalmtft fays, is a Lamp unto our Feet^ and a Light unto our Tathj Pfal. cxix. 105'. And then when we know what the Will of our Lord is^ it is our Duty, (a Duty in- deed comprehending all other Duties;) which we are not only reminded of, but ftridly obliged to by our Ufe of this Peti* tion, to fet our felves with all Diligence, to the doing of all thofe things which are required of us. For we contradict our own Petition, and are inconfiftent with our felves, if ever we oppofe in our own Practice , that good and perfed: Will of God, which we pray may be done. N 4 (4.) And 184 Thy. Will he done, &c. explain' d. (4.) And laftly ; by our Ufe of this Claufe of the Lord's Prayer, we are not , only taught theNcceflity of Obedience to the Will and Command of God , but we are likewife inftrucStcd in the Nature and necelTary Qualifications of an acceptable Obedience; for we pray not only that God's Will may be done in Earth by us Men, but that it may be fo done by us on Earth, as it is in Heaven ; i. e. as it is done by the holy Angels ; and how that is, I have already iliewcd. As therefore we defire in this Petition, that the Will of God may be done by all the Inhabitans of the Earth, as it is by all the holy Angels in Heaven ; wx ought to endeavour this, as much as lies in our Power, by teaching, inftruding, and ad- monijfhing one another; we ought, accord- ing to the Apoftlc's Precept , to confider one another^ to provoke unto Love, and to good fVorksj Heb. x. X4. But efpeci- ally, ourZeal to reform the World, fliould be chiefly exercifed in our own Families, which v;e Ihould take Care to have v/ell inftruiilcd Thy Will he done\ &c. explained. 185- inftrudcd in their Duties, and by prudent Dilcipline held to the Exercife and Pradice thereof; according to the good Example given us by Abraham^ the Father of the Faithful^ concerning whom \vc have this Teftimony given, by God himfelf, Geiu xviii. 19. / know h'tm^ that he will com- mand his Children^ and his Houjhold af- ter him^ and they Jhall kee^ the Way of the Lord^ to do Jujiice and Jiidgme7it, Again ; as we pray that we our felves, and all Men upon Earth , may obey the Will of God with IVillingnefs and Cheer- fttlnefsj as the Angels in Heaven do ; we ought, in Compliance with our own Peti- tion, to be cheerful in our own Obedience, to delight ounTelves in the Law of God ; to love the thing which he commands^ and to do the Will of God from the Heart ; according to the Example given us by our blefTed Saviour^ in J oh. iv. 34. My Meat is to do the IV ill of him that fent me y and to finijh his Work. And thus like- wife did the Tfalr/iiji\ fevcral Teftimo- jiies of which we have in Tfal. cxix. / have rejoiced in the way of thy Tejiifno- nies. 1 86 TToy Will be donCy &c. explain' cL nies^ as much as in all Riches^ f. 14. / love thy Commands above Gold^ yea^ a- bove fine Goldy f.ixj. The Law of thy Month is better unto me^ than thou fan ds of Gold and Silver^ f. yz. I rejoice at thy JVordj as one that findeth great Spoils f, i6x. My Soul hath kept thy TeJlimonieSy and I love them exceedingly. f> 167. Again ; the holy Angels in Heaven, as they obey heartily^ fo rhey undertake rea- dily^ the Work they are fee to ; and thus we pray in this Petition, that we may do likevvile; and as we pray, fo we ought to pradife. It is our Duty therefore which we are reminded of, and engag'd to , by our Ufe of this Petition, to undertake rea- dily the Work and Bufmels God has given us to do , to take the firfl: Intimation of his Pleafiire, and to comply with his Will upon the firfl: Knowledge which we have of it ; according to the Example of the fame holy TfalmiJ}^ Pfal. cxix. 59, 60. / thought on 7ny JVays^ and turned my Feet unto thy Teftimonies ; / made hajte^ and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. Again ; Thy Wtll he donCy &c. explained. i8 Again ; what the holy Angels under- take, at the Command of God, they fpeedi- ly execute ; they do their Work diligent- ly, they lofc no Time from it, 'till it be ac- compliihed. And in this likev\ ife we pray, in this Petition, that our Obedience may be like theirs. In order to which there- fore it is our Duty, according to the Dirc- dions given us in Scripture, not to be jloth- ful in Bujinefs , but fervent in Spirit ^ ferving the Lord^ Rom. xii. ii. And what/bever our Hand findeth to do^ to do it with all our Mighty Ecclef ix. lo. Laftly ; the holy Angels (as I obferved before ) make no Difference in the Com- mands of God ; they do not prefer one be- fore another ; they never decline any Work which they are fet to : and fuch likewife our Obedience to the Commands of God ought to be; fuch we pray it may be 3, when we fay, thy Will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. In Comply ance there- fore with oijr own Prayer, our Obedience ought to be conftant , and uniform , and impartial', and unlefs it be fo, according to theutmoft of our Power, it will be nei- ther Thy Will be done^ &cz, explained. ther accepted by God, nor profitable to our felves ; for then^ fays the Tfalmift^ i. e. then only, Jhall I not he afbamed^ when I have reflect tinto all thy Com- mandments ; TfaL cxix. 6. And we are told by St. Jamesj Ch. x. f. lo. that whofoever jhall keep the whole Law^ and yet offend in one 7oint^ he is guilty of all. Thus the Will of God is done in Hea- ven, by the Angels, and thus we pray it may be done on Earth by us Men ; in this manner therefore we ought to endea- vour our felves to do it. And indeed, after all which we can do^ We fnall be but unprofitable Servants; when we iliall have done the bed we can, we fliall have only done what was onr ^Duty to do ; fo that the only thing which can fet any Value even upon our beft: Ser- vices, is when we thus do the Will of God from the Heart : when out of a true Love to God, we likewife have a Love to his Commandments, and take Delight therein, and perform them with a ready and wil- ling Mind, and a cheerful Heart, as the Angels 773}' IVtll be done, &c, explmrfd. 189 Angels in Heaven do. And this, if we do, while we continue upon Earth, our Reward will be great in Heaven ; and li- ving now here, as the Angels do in Hea- ven, we our felves fliall be made equal to the Angels, when we come thither. The God of Teace therefore , who brought again from the "Dead our Lord Jefus , that great Shepherd of the Sheep, thro' the Blood of the e- 'verlajitng Covenant, make you per- feB in every good Work , to do his Will in all things while on Earth , even as the Angels in Heaven do , working in yon that which is well- pleajing in his Sight , thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord-, to whom, &c. he Glory for ever and ever. Amen. Give J Give us, this Day, our DAILY BREAD, EXPLAINED. 193 DISCOURSE VL Give us this Da'y our daily Bread y explained. Matth. vi. II. Give us this Day our daily Bread. N the Lord's Prayer, of which I am now difcourfing , there are, befides the Preface and the Conclufion, fix Petitions; the three firft refpeding chiefly God's Glory, the three lafl our own Good. And of the three former I have already fpoken ; I come now to Ipeak of the latter. And here we very reafonably begin fiift with begging of God that Good which is the O firft 194 G^^<^ ^^ ^f^i^ Day our firft in Nature, and without which we can- not be capable of enjoying any other Good, viz. the Prelervation of our Being: and this we beg of God in the fourth Petition of the Lord's Prayer, of which I am now to difcourfe ; give us this T>ay our daily Bread, Which Petition (according to the Method formerly propofed,) I fliall firft explain, fliewing what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds , when we utter thefe Words in Prayer to God : and II. I iliall iliew what good Leflbns we may learn from our Ufe of this Petition ; what Du- ties it inftrucSts us in. I. I fhall explain the Petition, and fhew what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words in Pray- er to God ; give us this "Day our daily Bread. And for the Explication of it ; I fhall, I. Shew what is meant by ^r^^^.- 2. What is meant by daily Bread: and, 3. Why we are taught to ask only for the Bread of the prefent Day ; give us, this "Day, our daily Bread. I. What da'i^ Bready explained. i^^ I. What is meant by Bread. Now Bread is the StafFof Life, as 'tis cal- led in Scripture, Lev. xxvi. ^6. 'Tis the main Prop and Support of our frail and mortal Bodies, TfaLcv. i6. 'Tis what we can't well live without, and with which alone we may Hve well enough, Ifaiah'ni.x^ And therefore Bread is oftentimes in Scri- pture let to fignify whatfoever is necefla- ry for the Support, Convenience, or Comfort of Life. Ezek,v^.i6.\,i6,\\w.i3' And in this large Senfe, without doubt, it ought to be taken here ; for this Being the only Petition of the Lord's Prayer which relates to Temporals, itmuftbeun- derftood as comprehending all the tempo- ral things which we have need of; fo that in asking for Bread, we ask alfo for Drink and for Cloaths, and for Shelter from the Weather, and for Protedion from Dangers, and for every thing elfe which is needful for us. For what we mean in this Petition, is, to beg the Prefervation of this Life, and confequently by Bread, which is the only thing that we name in particular, we O z muft 1^6 Give us this Day our muft be underftood ro mean, whatfoevcr is necefTary for the Prefervation of Life, e- very thing which we cannot live without. And this, I believe, was all which our Saviour defign'd we iliould mean to pray for in this Petition, that \% only for all worldly Neceflaries. Not but that when we utter thefe Words, we may alfo very pioufly enlarge our Defires; and at the fame time that we beg NecefTaries for our Bodies, beg Neceflaries for our Souls too ; and particularly for the Word of God, which is the Bread of Life, and as necefl^ary for the well-being of our Souls, as Bread is for the Suftenance of our Bodies, according to that of our Saviour^ Matth. iv. 4. Man /hall 7iot live by Bread alone , but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God. We may therefore, I fay, under- ftand this Petition in this large Scnfe, as praying to God for all manner of Necefl"a- ries, tor our Souls, as well as for our Bodies; and for the next Life, as well as for this Life. And fo we are taught in that brief Ex- pHcation of the Lord's Prayer which is in the Church Catechifm where the Scholar being daily Ere ad ^ explained. 197 being asked, \_lVhai: defireji thou of God in this Trayer ?J is taught, in that part of the Anfwer which relates to this Petition, to iay, I pray unto G^dthat he will fend us all things that be needful , both for our Souls and Bodies, But that other more reftrained Senle, which I mentioned before of the Word Breads underftanding thereby only Necef- fanes for the Support of this Life, being the principal, if not the only Senfe, in which I fuppofe our Saviour meant it in this Pe- tition, is the only Senfe of it which I Ihall at prefent infill upon; efpecially becaufe the (piritual Senfe of this Petition, accord- ing to which we are hereby fuppofed to beg NecefTaries for our Souls, may, I think, be better reduced to the two following Pe- titions, forgive us ourTrefpajfes^ and, lead us not into Temptation^ but deliver us from Evil\ for thofe two^things which we are taught to beg there, viz. Pardon and Grace, do comprehend as fully all things needful for our Souls, as this Peti- tion, taken in its prime and natural Senfe, ^oes all things needful for our Bodies. O3 x.The ipS Give us this Day our X. The fecond thing which, in order to the Explication of this Petition, I was to fliew, is, what \^ meant by dally Bread ; give us our daily Bread ; in the Greek 'tis a^-nv kiriia-m. And concerning the ftri6t and proper Meaning of this Word, \7rii- fl";@-, there is a great Difpute among the Criticks; but I think the moft eafy and natural Senft of the Word, as well as the moft agreeable to this Place, is that of St. Chryfofiom^ who lays, that is sTri^a-i©^ which is neceflary iw) r ^(rlav ; /. e, which is neceflary for our Subfiftence. So that what we mean , when in the Lords Prayer we beg of God our daily Bread, u^izv iyrtiicnovy is fo much Provifion as is necelTary for the Body, and no more than is neceffary. We are not here taught to beg of God Riches and Honours, Dain- ties and Delicacies, bar only Bread ; and that not to pleafe our Palates, and delight our Senfes, but only to preferve our Bo- dies in Health and Strength ; we defire not a full Barn, or a rich Wardrobe, orafump- tuous Palace, becaufe without all thefe we may da'tl^ Bread^ explained. 195^ may live , and we may live well enough too : but all that we beg for, is what we can't live without ; or at moft, only what we can't live well without ; /. e, only the convenient Supports, Recruits, and Rc- frelhments of Nature. So that the fubjedt Matter of this Petition, the <^f7@- Shi(ri(^, the daily Bread which we here beg for, is the fame which the Prophet Agur prays for in Trov. xxx. 8. and calls Food con- venient for him : give me , (ays he, nei- ther ^Poverty nor Riches ; feed me with Food convenient for me, 3. I proceed now in the third Place, in order to the farther Explication of this Pe- tition, to flievv what is the Meaning of our faying, ^\st\x^thisT>ay\ why we are taught to pray for the neceflary Provifion only of the prefent Day. Now the Word ff-jf^g^ov, this T^ay^ give us this T>ay, is a farther Reftridlion or Li- mitation of our Defires of temporal good things, which had been very much limit- ed and reftrained before. For when we were taught to ask only for Bread , our O 4 Defires 20 o Gwe us thts Day our Defires were limited only to the Neceffa- ries of Life ; and when we were taught to ask only for daily Breads or fiiffictent Breads our Dcfires were again rellraincd only to Necefiaries, only to fuch things as are requifire for our Being and Subfift- encc here. And when we are here taught to ask for a Supply of thefe Neceflaries. of Life, only iox the frefertt T>ay, give us this T>ay ; this .reftrains our Defires ftill more; for by faying, give us this T>ay^ we exclude all anxious Care and Thought- fulnefs, even about Neceflaries, for the future time : according to thofe Precepts of our Saviour yNhich follow after, at the end olthis Chapter ; take no Thought for your Life^ whatye Jhalleat^ or what ye Jh all drink ^ nor yet for your Body y what ye flyall pit en, 'f. x^, igc. And again; therefore take no Thought, fiy^^^g^ what Jhall we eat, or what Jhall we drink, or wherewithal foall we be cloathedX And again ; take no Thought for to Mor- row, for the Morrow Jfjall take Thought for the things of it felf Thus we are. taught our Duty by exprefs Precept ; and this datl^ Bready explained. 20I this Duty we do in part pradtife, when we fay this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, give us^ thisT>ay^ our daily Bread. We defire not Store of Provifion before-hand, but only neceflary Provifion , when we want it, and as we have Occafion to ufe it ; not a full Granary, but a Meals Meat ; not Goods laid up for many Years, but only liich as we fliall have Ufe and Occa- fion for this Day , which we are already entred upon. We do not defire to have an Eftate fettled upon us for Life, that fo after that we niay live of our felves, upon our own Income , without being farther beholden to any body ; but we are con- tented to live every Day upon the frefli Supplies of Providence : and by putting up this Petition, by faying, give ns this day our daily Breads we do, in Effed:, declare that we iliall be well pleafed if we do not want , altho' we fliould have nothing before-hand. And there was good Reafon why we fliould be taught to put up our Requefls to God for temporal things, with this Re- ftridlion and Limitation ; viz. (I.) Be- f 2o2 Gwe m this Day our (i.) Becaufe we are really dependent Creatures, and muft live upon Providence whether we will or no ; for we can ne- ver be fo rich , and fo well furnilh'd and provided for, as not to Hand in continual Need of the Bleffing of Providence , to preferve our Store, and to make it ufeful to us. So that the rich Man has no left Realbn to put up this Petition than the poor Man ; for as rich as he is, he may, even \n one Day's Time, by a Blaft of Providence, become as poor as the poor- eft, be reduc'd fo low as to want even a Meals-Meat. Befidcs, there is good Reafon that we fliould beg but only for the Neccflaries of the prefcnt Day, becaufe this is all which we are allowed to be concerned or thought- ful about ; take no Thought for to Mor- row^ fays our Saviour: and if we may not be thoughtful about to Morrow, then we ought to be content if we have now lb much as will fervc our prefent Needs, and not to be earned in our Defircs to have any thing, till we need it. More- dally Bready explain' d, 103 Moreover ; there is'great Reafon in this Petition, give us this T^ay our daily Bread ; becaufe the Bread of this Day is all which we can need ; nay, indeed, 'tis all which we can ufe at prefent ; for if we had ne ver fo much Provifion in Store, we could not eat or drink for a Week or a Month hence ; and therefore, if we have but e- very Day as much as we have Occafion to ufe that Day, it is as well for us as if we had had it a Week or a Month before ; for even then we could not have ufed it, we muft have kept it by us till we had wanted it, and all that time it would have done us no good : fo that if we have it but when we need it , we have as much of it as we can in Reafon defire. And fo much may ferve for the Expli- cation of this Petition ; give us, this T>ay^ our daily Bread. By what has been faid we may fee what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words in Prayer to God ; namely this, « We are " fenfible, O Father, that our whole De- « pendence is upon thee ; that we have " nothing, and can have nothing, but " from 204 Give us this Day our *• from thy Bounty ; and this Bounty and " Goodnefs of thine we (land in need of " every Day, for the Support of our Life ^' it ftlf, on the Continuance whereof de- " pends our Enjoyment of all thy other ^^ Mercies. We befeech thee, therefore, *^ that thou would'fl: be pleafed to pre- ^^ ferve that Life which thou haft given " us, and in order to that, that thou *' would'ft continually, as we have Need, ^' beftow upon us ;all things neceflary for " the Support of Life ; Food convenient, *^ wholfome Lodging, warm Cloathing, *^ Health and Strength of Body, and *^ whatever elfe thou feeft needful for us, ^' when we need '\x.^ and according as we *' need it. We defire that thou would'ft " fo long preferve us in this Life, as is ^* expedient either for thy Glory, or our *' own Good; and fo order things, that " while we continue here our Life may be ^^ comfortable to us." This \s^ the Sum of what we beg of God in this Petition, I proceed now, according to the Me- thod at firft laid down, and which has; beeG daily Bread, explain' d, 205 been already obferved, in all the forego- ing Petitions, II. To lliew, in the fecond Place, what good LelTons we may learn from this Pe- tition ; what Duties it indrudts us in. And, I. Being here 'taught by our Saviour himfelf, to make our daily Bread, i.e. fuch things as are necefTary for the Support and Comfort of this Life , a Matter of our conftant and daily Prayer to God ; and that too in this very fliort Prayer, con- fiding but of fix Petitions in all : One thing which we may obferve , and learn from hence, is this ; that provided we do but feek firjt the Kingdom of^God aiid his Right eotifaefs^ we are allowed by God ro leek for other things ; i. e. for the Ne- celTaries and Comforts of this Life, with a fecondary and fubordinare Care. For what we may pray to God for , that we may certainly defire ; nay, indeed, our Prayers are hypocritical if we do not de- fire it ; aad what we may defire, that wc may 10 6 Gwe us this Day our may feek and endeavour to obtain : from whence therefore it is plain that thofe e- vangelical Precepts, whereby we are com- manded to be careful for nothings and to take no Thought what we jhall eat , or drtnk^ or put on^ are not to be under- ftood abfolutely, but comparatively ; not as forbidding all Care for this Life, but only an exceffive and prepofterous Care, or an anxious Thoughtfulnefs and Concern about it. And this Moderation in our Care, for the things of this Life, we are taught even in this Petition ; wherein (as I ob- ferv'd before) we beg only Neceflaries, and thofe too only for the prefent Time, the Bread of this Day. And that our Care for thefe things ought to be fubordinate to our Care for better things , is likewife clearly enough intimated by that Place which this Petition hath in our Prayer; for we pray not even for the Neceflaries of Life, till we have firfl: prayed for the Advancement of God's Honour , for the Enlargement of his Kingdom, and for the Performance and Accomplifliment of his Will. 2. Ano- datly Bread^ explained. 207 2. Another good Leflbn which we are taught by our Ufe of this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, give us this T>ay our daily Breads is this ; that God is the Giver of all good things to us, temporal as well as Ipiri- tual, andofourLifeitfelf, and of the Con- tinuance thereof For it would be needlels to beg our Bread of another, if we had it of our own, or could give it to our fclves; and it would be fruitlels , and to no Pur- pofe, to beg it of God, if it were not his to give. But alas! we our felves cannot fubfifl a Moment, much lefs a Day without him; 'tis in him that iL'e live, move^ and have our Being, Adts xvii. x'i. By him all things confift^ ColoflT. i. 17. He upholds all things by the Word of his Tower ^ Heb. i. 3. 'Tis his good Providence which delivers us from Dangers, fbme perhaps feen or foreknown by us, and a great many others which we are deUvered from, before we fo much as difcerned our felves to be in any Danger. 'Tis he who provides Food for our Hunger, and Raiment for our Cloathing 2o8 Give MS this Day our Cloathing ; who makes the Grafs and the Corn to grow for our Ufe, who gives to the Earth a frucSiferous Nature, who wa- ters it with the Dew and Rain from Hea- ven , and with the Springs which run a- mong the Hills : 'tis he who refreflies it with his Sun, who gives fruitful Seafons, who grants us Power to gather in the Fruits of the Earth, and gives us Ability to ufe them for our own Sufteiiance ; 'tis he who makes them yield kind and whol- fome Nutriment to the Body , and gives us an Appetite to take, a Palate to reliih, and a Stomach to digeft them : 'tis he who make the Beafts of the Field to increafe and multiply, to ferve for our Ufe both of Nourilhment and Cloathing ; and who gives us Skill to make Ufe of w^hat rhey afFord, for the Purpofcs it was de- figned. We are poor, forry, helplels Creatures of our felves; we could do none of all thefe things for our ielves, neither could any thing elle be ufeful and ferviceable to us without God. We fay indeed oftentimes, in common Difcourfcj that fuch a thing comes to pafs dail^ Bread y explained, 209 pais by Accident , or that fuch a thing is the Work and Effed of Nature ; but when we lay fo, wc fpeak fooUlhly and ignorant- ly ; for there is in truth no fuch thing as Chance or Accident ; for not fo much as a Sparrow falls to the Ground without Godj as our Saviour fays, and even the very Hairs of our Head are all num- bred. And when the Lot is caft into the Lap^ the whole difpofing thereof is of the Lord. Neither is there any fuch thing as Nature working blindfold , and by it felf, without the Concurrence of the firft Spring or Mover. For, as our J^i;/- ^//rlikcwife teaches us, 'tis God who /^r^- vides Food for the Fowls ^ and who cloaths the Grafs, dnd Lillies of the Field. So that w^hat we cdl Chance is Providence ; and what w^e afcribe to Na- ture, is the Work of the God of Nature; who knows cxadly what Power and Strength he has given to fecond Caufcs, and could have given them more or lefs ; and C'uld, if ht had pleafed, as eafily work and produce the fame Effeds , by P the 2 I o Give us this Day cur the Word of his Mouth, without natural CauieS; as with them. Ill a Word; whatever \s the fecond and immediate Caufe, 'tis God who is the firft Caufe of all; 'tis he who both gave us our Being at firft, and every Moment con- tinues us in it ; and of his free Bounty gives us all things richly to enjoy. And all this we are taught to believe in this Petition of the Lord's Prayer ; and all this we do adtually acknowledge every time we repeat thefe Words , and fay, give us this T)qy our daily Bread. 3. What is fit Matter of Petition when we want it, is juft Ground of Thankfgi- ving when we have receiv'd it. If there- fore God be the Author of our Being, and of the Continuance thereof, and of all the good things which we enjoy in it, to him of Right and in Juftice belongs the Praife and Glory of all ; and therefore, as we are here taught by ouf Saviour to look up to God for every thing, for Tempo- rals as well as Spirituals ; fo we are taught by datl^ Bread^ e^plain'd. 211 by the Apoftle to give Thanks to God in every thing , or for every thing , in iTheJ[f.w,i%. And 'tis indeed a great Inftance of Bafe- nefs and Difingenuity, to beg of God our daily Bread, and not alio to thank him when he has given it ; to own our Dependence upon him when we want and crave his Bounty , and not to confefs the fame when we have been Partakers of his Kind- nefs; to difcern from whence we muft have a Supply when we (land in Need, and not to (ec who was our Benefador when our Needs are luppiied, and to ren- der him our Thanks for the fame. And yet, as bafe and difmgenuous as this is, 'tis a Fault which moft Men are notorioufly guilty of Of the ten Lepers^ who came to our Saviour to be healed, there was but one (cho' they were all heal- ed,) that returned to give Glory to God^ Luke xvii. 1 8. And I fear the Proporti- on of thofe now-a-days, who receive the Benefits of God with a thankful Heart, is not more or greater. When we are in Afflidlion, and have no Profpcd of Help P 2, from 212 Give us this Day otir from any other Hand, then we common- ly betake our felves to God, and cry mightiiy to him for DeUverance ; but when we are delivered, we foon forget our Benefactor : like the Ifraelttes in the Wildernefs, of whom the Tfalmiji fays, Vfal. Ixxviii. 34, ^c. that when be Jlew them^ then they fottght him^ and they re- turned and enquired early after God ; then they remembred that God was their Rock^ and the high God their Redeemer ; but when once their Danger was over, they remembred not his Handj nor the T)ay when he delivered them from the E- iiemy^ f. 42. And lb it isgenerally with us ; wc fee the Need of his Help when we are in Diflrefs , but vi'^e do not fee the Kind- nels of it when we are deliver'd : when we want Bread, we go to God for it ; but when we are fed to the full , and waxeij fat, like Jefurun we kick againfl him^ being grown thick ^ and covered with Fatnefs^ we for fake the God that made ns , and lightly efteem the Rock of our Salvation^ Deut. xxxii. 15-. But daily Ere ad ^ explaw'd. 213 Bat it fhould not be thus; and our con- flant and daily Ufe of this Petition is an excellent Means to cure us of our Un- thankfulncfs; for when we fay, to Day, give us this ^ay our daily Bread-, if we mind what we fay, and are affedled with it, it can't but remind us that we receiv'4 our Bread Yeflerday from the fame Han4 ii'om which we do now beg it , and that the Bread of Yefterday was then as necef- fary, and as feafonable a Supply, as the Bread of this Day will be now ; and con- fequencly that we ought in Reafbn to be as heartily thankful for the Good we have receiv'd, as we are now earneftJy defirous to receive more. 4. Another good LefTon which we are inflruded in, by our life of this Petition, give us this i)ay our daily Breads is this ; that we ought to moderate our De- fires of all worldly good things, and par- ticularly that we lliould not extend them to a time very long hence to come : by our Ufe of this Petition we are plainly P 3 taughc 2 14 Give tis this Day our taught that there is no Reafon why we iliould do lb. For fince 'tis the fame God who gave US our Being, and who preferves us in it ; fince 'tis the fame God, of whofe Bounty we have already received all things need- ful , who mull likewife fupply all our fu- ture Needs, we have no E^cafon to diftruft his Goodnefs or his Power; but may fafe- ly caft all our Cares for the future upon him^ who has hitherto cared for ns^ and upon whom we have hitherto lived ever fmce we were born. For, as our Saviour argues, at thex^^''^. of this Chapter, the Life is more than Meat , and the Body than Raiment ; why then ihould we fear that he who has given us Life , will not give us wherewithal to fupport this Life? Or why fliould w^e think that he who has given us a Body, either cannot or will not give us Raiment to cloath the Body ? For he who has done that which is more^ is certainly able to do that which is lefs ; and he who has done us a great Kindnefs already, will not certainly deny us a Imaller. Befides, dathj Bready explain' d. 1 1 y Befides, we are Creatures but of a Day ; our Life here is as nothing ; we may be part ufing any thing of this World, in a very fliort time; why then fliould our Care for Life extend farther than our Life it felf ? To Day indeed we want many things, and therefore we may reafonably defire them ; we may well pray, as we are here taught by our Savmi7\ give as this Day our dally Breads i e. all things which are needful for this Day ; but to Morrow we may be pad ufing any of thefe things ; we may confequently then have no Need of them ; and if not, we Ihall be as v/ell without them. However, if we live till to Morrow, the Morrow will take Thought for the things of it felf \ for we j^^iyed Yefter- day for our daily Bread, and we had it ; and we did put up the fame Petition to Day, and it vs, granted to us : and there- fore if we live till to Morrow , let us but only put up the fame Requefl again ; and there is no Caufe to doubt, but that God, our heavenly Father, who is the fame Te- P 4 ' ferday. 2 1(5 Give us this Day our Jierday^ to T>ay^ and for ever^ will be as willing and as able to grant our Requefl then, as he is to Day, and as he was Ye- ftcrday, and indeed has been every Day of our Life which is already p:i(t. If therefore he thinks fit to prolong our Life to another Day, there is no doubt but thar, upon our Petition, he will gran^ to us the neceflary Means of preferving it : and, on the other fide, if it be his JPleafure that this iliall be our laft Day, we lliall need to be concerned for no more. 5-. From this Petition of the Lord's Prayer we are likewife inftrudcd in th^ Nature of Contentment. We hence learn what Portion or Quantity it is^ which we ought to be f^^isfyed and contented with ; for we are taught here to defire and requeft of God, only daily Breads i. e. only the Neceflaries, or the great Conveniencies of Life : and therefore certainly , if we have all which we our fclves do defire, and all which we ask for, we have great Caufe to be jfatisfyed with our Portion. And ddtly Bread, explain d. 217 And thus we are plainly direded by xki^Apoftle, iTim.vi. 7, 8. We brought nothing into this Worlds and it is cer- tain cc'^ can carry nothing out ; and ha- ving Food and Raiment, let as be there- with cojttent. IVe broiight nothing in- to this World \ we came into it naked and helplefs, not knowing in the lead how we {hould do to live in it fo much ^s one Day ; and yet by God's Bleffing we have hitherto lived in it, and have had all things needful fupph'ed to us by the divine Bounty ; and it is certain that "we can carry nothing out ; /. e. whe- ther we have much or Httle in this World, when we go from hence we mufl: leave all we have here behind us. And there- fore, fays the Apoflle, feeing we had no- thing of our own when we came hither, and feeing we can have nothing of our own, nor any Ufe of any thing which was our own , when we go from hence ; if we have but enough to carry us thro' this World, this is all which we can have need of, this is all which we fhall be the better for; and therefore if we have but thus 2 1 8 Give us this Day our thus much , we have good Reafon to be fatisfy'd with what we have ; we have no Reafon to murmur and complain againft Providence, that we have no more. Ha- ving Food and Rament , fays he, (by which he means only the Neccflaries of Life, and under which Words he compre- hends all things that are neceflary ; ha- ving Food and Raiment^) let m be there- vjtth content. 6. Another thing which we are inftrucft- ed in, by this Petition, is our Obligation to Frequency and Conflancy in Prayer ; for here we are taught to pray only for the Bread of this prefent Day ; give us this T>ay our daily Bread. Now fuppole our Requeft granted; fuppofe that God does give us, this Day, the Bread of this Day, i e. all NecefTaries which we have prefent Occafion for, yet what fhall we do for the Bread of to Morrow ? To Mor- row, if we live till then , we fnall have the fame Needs which we have to Day ; how ihall we get them fuppHed? How do we think, but the fame way by which our datl'sj Breads explain' d, 219 our prefent Wants are lupplied ; i.e. by Prayer to God ? But we do not pray to Day for the Bread of to Morrow, and therefore it plainly follows that we limit pray for that to Morrow^ ; and the next Day , for the Bread of the next Day ; and io again and again, every Day while we live. And every Day of our Lives, which we pafs over without Prayer to God, we are in Danger of Vv'anting even the Neceffaries of Nature; for God has promifed even thefe NecefUiries only upon the Condition of cur asking for them ; and we are not taught, we are not warranted to ask for the Necefiaries of any Day, till the Day it felf be come. Thus it appears that God defign'd we fliould live in a conftant Dependence up- on him, and that we fliould pray to him continually ; and if at any time we omit, or negled: this Duty, we have no Claim, by Promife , to his Proted:ion and Blef^ fing. He may indeed , of his abundant Goodnefs, give us what we want without our asking ; and he is oftentimes very kind even to the unthankful and to the evil. But 2-2 Give us this Day our But from whau God may do if he pieafes, we can't argue tliat he will do it ; lo that we can have no good Affurance of the Continuance of his Kindnefs and Goodncfs to us, but upon the Condition of our own continual and inceflant Prayers. 7. What we pray for, we ought alfo to labour for ; and if we do not, 'tis a Sign our Defires of it are not hearty , and fo we may reafonably fear our Prayers for it will not be fiiccelsful. This is generally true in all our Petiti- ons to God, whatever the Subjcd Matter of them is. For even when we pray for Spirituals, as for any Grace or Virtue, un- lefs we like wife endeavour after it, and ufe the Means of obtaining \Z^ there is no Promife of God, nor any good Reafon to hope, that he will work it in us, or be- llow it upon us. Apd there is the fame Reafon for Temporals : and therefore ano- ther thing, which we are inftrud:ed in from this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, give us this T>ay our daily Bread y iSy chat 'cis our Duty alio to feck honeftly to ger daily Bready explatrfd. Ill gee our own Living, by Diligence and In- duftry, in that lawful Trade, or Calling, or Profeflion, which we have been brought up to, or arc placed in. For there is no Reafon ever to exped: any thing by a Mi- racle, which may be obtained by the Uie of natural Means; and therefore we may obferve, (and it is a Cafe which {mis welt the Subject we are now fpeaking of;) that vi^hile the Ifraelites were m a barren Wilderneft , wherein was no Water, and nothing growing that was fit for Food, at leafl: not fufficient for fo great a Multi- tude ; God was plcafed to work Miracles for their Support : for he clave the Rocks in the Wildernefs^ and gave them T>rink asoiitofthegreatT^epthsj Pfal.lxxviii.15'. He br ought Streams alfo ottt of the Rock^ and can fed Waters to run do 'Jim like Ri- vers^ f- 1<^. and made the Streams flow- ing from this Fountain to follow them all the way as they went; whence the ^J^o- file fays, they drank of that Rock that followed them^ [i Cor. x. 4. vid. Ham. Amiot. in loc,'] He Ihewed his miraculous Power alio in fiirnifhing a Table for them in 2 z z Give MS this Day our in the Wilderncfs, for he commanded the Clouds from above ^ and opened the T>oors of Heaven^ and rained down Manna upon them to eat^ and gave them of the Corn of HeavenjVM.hxviii.zSyZ^.. Thus did God then, when there was no other Supply to be had, give them every Day their daily Bread, as it were imrnediately with his own Hand. But when the Pveafon of this Mi- racle ceafed, the Miracle ceafed too; when they might be fupplied the ordinary way, God thought not fit to fupply them any longer in this extraordinary manner ; and fo 'tis noted in Jofj. v. iz. that when they were paiTed oyer Jordan j and encamped in Gilgalj they did eat of the old Corn of the Land\ and that the Manna ceafed on the Morrow J after they had eaten of the old Corn of the Land\ neither had the Children of Ifrael Manna any more . They were then come to a Land inhabited, wherein the Corn of the lad Year's Har- veft had been laid up by the Canaanites againft their Coming , and wherein they themfelves, for the future, were to plant, and to fow , and to reap ; and therefore God, dml'^ Bread^ explained. Ill God, by putting a Stop then to the fall- ing of Manna, iliewed them, that now in a fruitful Land Labour and Induftry would be the Means of obtaining their Bread from God. And 'tis generally fb ; honeft Labour is the natural Means of procuring iiich things as are needful for the Body ; and there '\% nothing more than that, with the BJeffing of God upon it, which is ordinarily need- ful for this Purpofe. So that thefe being in our own Power, (for if God has given us Strength to labour, we may make Ufe of it ; and if we beg his BlelTing upon our Labour, he has promifed to give it. I fay, thefe being both in our own Power,) if we do not hdneftly work for our Living, as well as pray for it, we may be in want even of Necefiaries, and yet there may be no Failure at all in God's Care and Pro- vidence; we may have none to blame for it, but our felves. 8. Being taught here to beg our Bread of God, we are hereby warned not to re- ceive it but from him; not to receive it from 124 Give us this Day our from the Devil, tho' it be offered to \xi by him. Now then, we receive our Bread from God 5 riot only when we receive it by a Miracle, as the Ifraelites did their Man- na in the Wildernefs ; or as Elijah did the Bread and Flejhj which were brought him every Morning and Evening by the Ravens-^ bur likevvife when it is the Fruit of our honeft Induftry , in fome lawful Galling , or when it comes to us by Gift or Inheritance from thofe who were law- fully poffelTed thereof And then, on the other fide, we do re- ceive our Bread not from God but from the Devil, when we procure it by any fin- ful Means, by the Exerciie of any unlaw- ful Trade, by any Fraud or Injuftice in our Dealings, by committing any Sin, and making Ship wrack of a good Confcience, in order either to get or keep a Place of Profit. For to beg our Bread of God, and at the fame time to take any unlawful Courfe to procure ix^ is not only an Argument of our Diftruft of God, and that we do not think dathj Bread^ explained. 2zy think him able to grant our Requefts, but W^ hkevvife a great Indignity and Affront offered to him; for when we ufe any in- direct or forbidden Means to obtain that which we feem to beg of God as his Gift, we thereby make it plainly appear , that all our Prayer to him is nothing elfe but Infinuation and Flattery; and that tho' we make our Court to him in Words, our inward Worlhip and Devotion '\^ paid to the Devil. 9. Laftly; when we ufe this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, we do not fay, give me J but give us our daily Bread ; t. e. we beg for a Supply of other's Wants, as well as of our own ; we pray that neither we our felves, nor any elfe, may want the Neceffaries for the Support of Life. Now (as was faid before,) what we pray for, we ought alfo to endeavour : fo that ano- ther Duty, which we are likewife plainly inftrud:ed in, by our Ufe of this Petition, is the great Duty of Charity and Bounty to the Poor and Needy. For 2 2(5 Give as thh Day our For we pray to God thac none may- want, but we know there are a great ma- ny, who, either thro' Age or Sicknefs, are not able to work for their Living ; and that there are a great many working and induftrious Poor, who either cannot get fufficient.Employment ; or who, by a full Employment, by rifmg early, fitting up late, and working hard all the Day, can- not set a fufficient Maintenance for their numerous Family of Children ; and that there are like wife a great many others, who having once had enough both for their own Needs, and to contribute to- wards the Maintenance of the helplefs Poor, are by fome Ad: of Providence, as by Fire, Robbery, Inundation, or the like, reduced to great Extremities, and for the prefent rendred uncapable to fol- low their former Employments, for want \ of Stock to work upon. When therefore w^e pray that even thefe alfb, as vv^ell as others , may have their Wants fupplied, we ought our felves freely to contribute \ towards their Support. And in cafe God has fo bleffed our Indudry, that we have more daily Bread ^ explain' d. ity more than we need for our fclves, it is out Duty to affign the Overplus, or at leaft a conilderable Portion thereof, to the Ule of thofe who have nothing, or not enough to maintain them ; and by our very put- ting up of this Petition, we engage our felves to do fo. And fo St. Jamts argues. Jam. ii. ly, i6. If a Brother or a Sifier be nakedj and be dejlitnte of daily Food^ and one of you fay unto them\ TDefart in Teace^ be ye vjarmed^ and be ye filled ; notwithjianding ye give them not thofe things which be needful for the Body^ what doth it profit ? Indeed, when we have nothing to give to a Brother or a Sifter that is needy, bur good Willies only ; when they are all which we can give, theywili.be accept- ed ; but when God has put it into our Power to do thcnl good, as well as to Willi them well, and we only pray that their Wants may be fupplied, but will not give any thing of our own towards it ; it is a certain Sign that our Prayers are not hearty, and that our Defires arc not fln- eere; it's a certain Argument, that the Q 1 Love 228 Give us this Day^ 8cc. Love which we profefs towards them is only in Word and in Tongue, not as it fhould be, m "Deed^ and in Truths i Joh. iii. 1 8. For whatever a Man earneftly de- fires fhould be done, he, of Courfe, en- deavours to do, if it be in his Power. Now he that admlniftreth Seed to the Sower ^ bothminifter Bread for your Food^ and multiply your Seed fown^ and increafe the Fruits of your Righteoujhefs^ 2 Cor. ix. 10. Forgive Forgive us our DEBTS, As we forgive our DEBTORS, EXPLAINED. 0-3 ^31 DISCOURSE VIL Forgive US our DehtSy &c. explain'd. ^1'4 ^".'^ i*^'^ '^^'^i J-V^ ^l''^ i^'^ ^*''"$ >"'< ^"'-f ^^"'^ ^-''''^ ^"'-^ >"'^ ^^"'^ ^"'< i'*''^ v"'^ y '-^ >'''':< i^''^ y;^ ^iis ?i^ 5>is */i>5 Jviv* /oi.* 7^ 7^<. 7!A y^ 7^ %^ 7/^ ^/^ 7^ ^aA %>* 7^,^ 7^ 7jf^ 7J^ zJR Matth. vi. 12, 14, 15, And forgive m our Dehts ^ as we forgive our Debtors. For if 'ye forgive Men their Tref- pciffes^ your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you. But if ye forgive not Men their Trep CL 4 p^Ph. 1^1 Forpiwe us our Debts ^ &c. explain' d. pcifjes^ neither will your Father forgive your Trefpajfes. H E firft of thefe three Verfes, that I have cholen for my Text, contains the fifth Peti- tion of the Lord's Prayer, the four former I have already difcourfed of; forgive us our T^ehts^ as we forgive our debtors, . In which Petition there is firft a Requeft put up to God , that he u^ould forgive us our TrefpafTes ; and fecondly there is a Reafbn added to enforce the Re- queft, or rather a Reafon offered to God to induce him to grant our Requeft ; as we forgive our "Debtors ; or as St. Luke expreffes it, Luke xi. 4. for we alfo for- give every one that is indebted to us. And the two other Verfes of the Text, viz. the 14'^' and 15'^ give an Account of the Reafon of the Addition of that laft Claufe in the Petition , as we forgive our T>cbtors\ which (as our Saviour fays) was this, becaufe our Sins will not be forgiven to us only upon our Petiti- on, Forgive us ourDehts^ &c explain' d. 233 on, unleis we our felves do flicw fuch Mercy to Men, as we here requeft of God ; but that if we forgive Men their TrefpalTes againft us, then ( upon our Repentance and ConfefTion, and begging Pardon of God) he alfo will forgive our Sins and Trelpafles againft him. For if ye, &c. Now, tho' it was very proper that this Account ihould be given of the Reafoa of the Addition of that Claufe m the Pe- tition , as we forgive our "Debtors^ or, for we forgive otir "Debtors \ yet it was not fit, that when our Saviour was teaching his Difciples a Pattern or Form of Prayer, he fliould break off in the middle of the Prayer it felf, to give this Account of that particular Claufe; but it was more proper that he fliould fiift recite the whole Prayer throughout, and then afterwards, in a Difeourfe addrefled to his Difciples, give the Reafon of any Claufe in it which might be liable to be mifunderftood, or excepted againft ; this therefore he does ; for after he had taught them the fifth Pe- tition, 2 34 Forgive us ourDcbts^ &c. explain' d. tition, at the ii''' Sj , in the Words before read to you; forgive us our 'Debts ^ as we forgive our Debtors ; he immediate- ly adds, in the 13''' i^^ the fixth Petition, and the Conclufion of the Prayer ; and then 5 when he had quite finifhed the whole Prayer, he adds thofe Words be- fore read, in the 14^'' and 15'^ Verles, to give a Reafon of that Claufe in the fifth Petition, which he thought might not be well underftood, or might be excepted a- gainft ; and this Method of Difcourfe waS/ proper and natural. But my prefent Dcfign being to treat of every Claufe or Petition of this Prayer by itfelft to give the Meaning thereof, and to ground a pradical Difcourfe thereup- on ; I thought it would be more proper for me, now that I am treating of this fifth Petition, forgive us our Debts ^ as we forgive our Debtors^ to treat alfo at the lame time of that Reafon which our Saviour hirafelf gives of this Petition, in thofe two Verfes which are added by the Evangeitfl , after he had recited the whole Forgive us our Debts ^ &c. explained. 23 j whole Prayer. And this was the Reafon why, when I named my Text, I named the ii'\ 14'^ and 15-"^ Verfes ; which three Verfes do ajl belong to the fame Subjed:; omitting, for the prefcnt, the 13^'' Sf-t which belongs to another Sub- jed:, and contains the fixth Petition of this Prayer, and the Conclufion of it, and reierving that to be difcourfed of at another time. Forgive us our T)ebts^ as we forgive our "Debtors \ that's the Peti- tion I am now to treat of; and then fol- lows the Reafon of the laft Claufe of the Petition ; for ifye^ &c. In difcourfmg of this fifth Petition of the Lord's Prayer, I fliall obferve the lame Method which I have done in dif courfuig of the foregoing ones ; i. e, I. I iliall explain the Meaning of it, and fliew what Senle we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words I'n Prayer to God. And, II. I fliall flicw what good LefTons wc arc r3 6 Forgive us ourDebts^ &c. txplam'd. are taught, what Duties we are inftruifled in , and oblig'd to , by our Ule of this Petition. And, in fpealing to thefe two Heads, I (liall have Occafion to difcourfe as much as I fuppofe Ihall be needful, concerning thofe Words which are added by our Sa- viouvy in the 14'^ and 15"'^' Verfes, to give an Account of the Reafon of his making our Forgiveiiefs of others, the Condition of our asking Forgivcnefe of God. For if ye forgiv€y &c. I. I fhall explain the Meaning of this Petition, and lliew what Senfc we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thele Words in Prayer to God, forgive MS our "T^ebts^ as we^ &G. Forgive us our T>ebts ; the Word, in. the Greek of St. Matthew's Golpel, \Sy C'pHAi^fLicijct ; which is truly and rightly here tranflated, 7)ebts ; but in the Greek of St. Luke's Gofpel, 'tis d/na^rUg, i. e. Sins; and fo 'tis there tranflated, forgive us our Sins: and in the Form which wc do Forgive us our Debts ^ &c. explain' d. 237 do commonly ufe, we lay, Tre^affes ; forgive us our Trefpajfes. By which Word, Trejpafsj we ufually underftand a left Fault than we do by the Word Sin : and this Word, I mean the Greek Word, 'zxTA^Trloo^ck^ which is ufually tranflated a Trelpafs, is the fame Word which is thrice ufed in the 14'^ and 15^ Verfes, where cur Saviour Ihews the Neceflity of otir forgiving Men their Treipafles againft us, in order to our obtaining of God the For- givenefs of our Sins or TrelpafTes againft him. For if ye forgive Men their Tref faffes^ yotir^ &c. But it is all one which of thefe Words we ju{e, "Debts ^ or Sins^ or Trefpajfes ; becaufe in this Place they muft all have the fame Meaning : for what is z.Trefpafs againft God, but only the doing Ibmething which he has forbidden? And this is like- wile a Sin ; for Sin (as the Apoflle fays,) is the Tranfgrefjlon of the Law ; and this fame may alfo be well called a T>ebt ; for by tranigreirmg the Law of God in any Point, we become obnoxious to him, w^e ^ owe 238 Forgive lis ourDebtSj &c. explain' d. owe him Satisfadtion for the Injury, ei- ther by making Reparation , or, (fmce that can't be done by us,) by fuffering the Punilhment due to our Tranfgre/Tion. I fliall therefore, for the Explication of this Petition, do thefe two things: i. I lliall explain the Matter of the Petition ; I fliall Ihew what it is which we here beg of God, what it is to have our Sins/2?r^/- *ven us. And, x. I ihall iliew w^hat it is which we do here declare we have done, and do ; or do engage and promife that we will do , as a Condition on our Part, on which only we beg Forgivenefs of God. Forgive us, as ^m^e forgive our "Debtors ; or, as "iZ^e forgive them that tref^afs a- gainji us. I. I fliall explain the Matter of the Pe-^ tition ; I fliall jhcw what it is which wc do here beg of God ; forgive us our Tref pa(fes\ what it is to have our S\ns forgi- ven us. Now by every Sin againft God, by e- very Tranfgrcflion of his Laws, we affront the Forgive lis ourDehts^ &c. explam'd, 239 the divine jMajefty, we refift and oppoie his Authority, we do Wrong and Injury to him, to whom all our Service is due ; but now every Injury done to another, naturally obliges to SatistacSion, and we continue unjufl: till we repair the Damage we have done. This therefore is what, by our Sins a- gainft God, we have made necefTary to our felves, we muft repair the Injury we have done him, we mull pay the Debt which we owe him. But alas ! this is impofTible for us to do ; for all the Good we can do, extends not to him ; and tho' we fliould fpend all the remaining Part of our Lives in his faithful Service, and never again at any time tranfgreis his Commandments, this would be no Satisfadion or Amends to him. By this indeed we fliould avoid running deeper in his Debt ; buc our bare- ly forbearing to contrail a new Debt , cannot be accounted a Payment of the Debt w^e have already contradcd : no Man is ever thought to pay what he has bor- rowed, 240 Forgive us ourDehts^ &c. explained, row'd, only by forbearing to borrow more. But this is all which we can pofTibly do, we can only forbear adding new Treipaf- ks to our former, but we can by no Means ever recompenfe, or make him Sa- tisfedtion, for thofe which we have alrea- dy done. It remains therefore that for thefe, we are, and always Ihall be liable to the Lafli of the Law; i. e. obnoxious to fuffer the Puniihment threatned by the Law, to the TranlgrefTors of it; for cur- fed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them. And this PuniQiment com- prehends all thofe Evils which God hath any where threatned to Sin, all manner of Evils, fpiritual and temporal, and e- fpecially Death ; the Wages of Sin is ^eath ^ fays the Apoftle ^ i. e. eternal Death; this appears by the Oppoficion which is there made by the Afojlle be- tween Death and Life ; the Wages of Sin is iJeathj but the Gift of God is eternal Life:, now that "Death which is oppo- (xiQ to eternal Life, is eternal Death \ i.e. tjie Forgtve lis ourDebts^ &c. explained. 241 i. e. the eternal Torment both of Body and Soul in Hell : this is the Wages of Sin, this is the Punifliment due to every TranfgrefTion of the Law of God; and this is what, being Sinners, we are liable to be fentenced to, and to have inflidted upon us, vi^henever God pleafes. This therefore is what we pray for in this Petition, when we izy^ forgive us our Trefpaffes. We pray that God would be pleafed not to exad: this Punifliment of US; we pray, that fmce we can make him no true Satisfaction for the Injury we have done him, he, of his great Good- nefs and Clemency , would be pleafed to pais it by, and not exad: any Satisfadion from us ; i. e. that he would not inflid" upon us any of thofe Evils which he has threatned to the Tranlgreflbrs of his Laws ; and above all , not that which is the proper Wages of Sin, the eternal Tor- ments of Hell. This is what we ask in this Petition, that God would not impute our Sins to us, to our Condemnation. Forgive us our TreJ^affes. R But 24^ Forgive us ourDehts^ &c. explalrfd. Rat when we fey, forgive us our Tref^ pafles, it is liippos'd that we have tref- pafled ; by the very asking Forgivenefs of our Sins, we own that we have fin- ned ; for if we had no Need of Pardon^ (as we Ihould not have if we were inno- cent, ) there would be no Reafon to ask Pardon. Nay indeed, to put up this Peti- tion to God, to fay, forgive us our Tref- fajfes^ when at the lame time we are not Gonfcious to our fejves that we have fin- ned , and that we do greatly ftand in Need of Pardon, is no better than mock- ing or trifling with God. And therefore we may well underftand this Petition, for Pardon of Sin, as in- cluding in it a Confellion of our Sins to God, as well as a Prayer for Forgive- nefs. I proceed now, in the fecond Place> t. To fliew what it is which we here declare we have done , and do ; or do engage and promife that we will do, as a Condition on our Part, oa which only we Forgive m ourDebts^ 8cc, explain' d, 243 we beg Forgivenefs of God ; forgive tis our "Debts^ as we forgive our "Debtors ; or, as we forgive them that trejpajs a- gainjl us. And what we here declare and pro- mife, is, that we have fliewn , and that we do and will lliew the fame Kindnels to our Brother who has injured us, which we beg God would fhew to us who have trefpafTed againft him. Now , (as was faid before,) what we beg of God, is, that fince we cannot make him tru^ Satisfailion for our Sins, he would not exadl of us the Punilh- ment of them; this therefore is what we here declare and engage, on our Part, viz. that we will not exad: of our Bro- ther a Debt which he owes us, if he be not able to pay it ; or if he cannot re- compenfe us for any other Injury, that we will not defire that Satisfaction which the Law, if we fliould go to the Stri(3:- nefs of ir, would allow ; /. e. to keep his Body in Prifon, or to put him to Pain and Mifery ; by which we fliould only do R z him 244 Forgive us ourDebts^ 8c c. explatyfd. him Evil^ but do our felves no Good, re- ceive no real Amends. In a Word ; this is what we here en- gage and promife , that in Cafe of any Injury or Wrong done to us, by any Neighbour, we will be content with luch Satisfadtion as he can make us; that if he be not well able to make us perfedl Amends, we will be fatisfied with a iraaller Recompence; and that if he can make us no Amends at all, we will freely forgive the Injury ; neither doing him our felves, any Injury lik^ to that which he has done us , nor fo much as defiring that any liich Evil may befal him ; but that we will as truly defire, and as hear- tily endeavour to procure his Eafe , and promote his Welfare , as if he had never done us any Wrong at all. But whenever we made Profefiion of any thing which is good concerning our felves, we ought to do it with Modefly and HumiHty, and a kind of Diftrufl: of our felves ; it becomes us to have fome Fear tipon our felves, left our natural Self love fliould Forgive us ourDehts^ &c. explained, 245 ihould make us think of our felves more highly than we ought to think, accord- ing to the Example of the A^oJIlCj 1 Cor, iv. 4. / know nothing by my felf^ yet am I not hereby jujtijiedj but he that judgeth me is the Lord\ for we may fee no Fault in our felves, our own Heart may ab- folve us, and yet God^ who ( as the A- foftle fays, i Joh, iii. 20.) is greater than our Hearts^ i. e. who knows what is within us, much better than we our felves do, may fee that we are not fb blamelefs as we think our felves ; and therefore, I fay, 'tis very reafonable, whenever we declare any thing concern- ing our felves, that is good, (as we do in thisClaule of the Lord's Prayer, when we lay that we do forgive thofe that trejpafs againft ns-J that we fliould do it with Modefty and Diffidence of our felves, and accompany our Profedion pf our own Sincerity, with a fecret Wilh or Petition , that God would be pleafed to make us luch , ( ifx we are not perfectly fuch already, ) as we do R 3 declare 2 4^ Forgive us otty Debts ^ &c. txpla'tn'd. declare and believe our felves to be. An excellent Example of this Humi- lity, and modeft Diftruft of our felves, we have in Mark ix. 24. in the Man who brought his Son to our Saviour for Cure, who was poffefled with a dumb Spirit; I fpake, fays he, to thy T>'tfct- flesj that they Jhould cafl htm out^ and they could not^ :^. 18. But if thou canfl do any things have CompaJJion on us y and help us , f. ax. Jefus faid unto him , If thou canft believe , all things are pojfible to him that believeth^ }^.2.3« and then it follows, il.i^. And fir eight - way the Father of the Child cry ed out ^ and faid with Tears ^ Lord^ I believe ; /. e^ if this be the Condition of my Son's Cure, that I fliould believe that thou art able to cure him, I have performed this Con- dition already ; for I do firmly believe that thou art able to do it. And, in this, he doubtlcfs fpake the true Senfe of his Mind. But then , knowing how deceit- ful the Heart of Man is, and that 'twas pofliblc his Faith might not be fb good as Forgive us ourDebts^ &c. explained. 247 as he himftlf took it to be, he immedi- ately adds the following Word, help thou mine Unbelief. Lord, I believe^ help thou mine Unbelief, 'Tis as if he had laid, I am not confcious to my feif of any Weaknefs in my Faith, of any Mixture of Diftruft or Doubtfulnefs in my Belief of thy Power to cure my Son, but there may be Faults in me which I my felf can- not dilcern, and my Faith, perhaps, may not be fo good as I take it to be ; there- fore, be thou pleafed to help my Unbe- lief; i. e, if there be any Fault or Defi- ciency in my Faith , which I my felf do not difcern, be thou pleafed of thy great Goodnefs to forgive it, and by the Help of thy Grace to fupply it. Arid with fuch Modefty and Humili- ty, and Diftruft of our felv^s, we ought always to utter thefe Words in Prayer to God , forgive us our Trefpajfes , as we forgive them^ that trefpafs againfi us: when we fay, as we forgive them that trefpafs againfi us ; we declare that we do , we promife that we will fbr- R 4 g^vq ,48 Forgtve us ourDebts^ &c. explain' d^ give thofe who do us Wrong; and we can't fay thefe Words with Sincerity , and in Truth, unlefs we do forgive them. Nay, indeed we not only mock God? but we likewife curfc our felvcs, every time that we repeat this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, if at the fame time we are confcious to our fclves , that we bear Hatred and Mahce in our Hearts , that we defign or wiQi Evil to any Pcrfon who has done us Injury. But tho' we are in Charity with all the World, 'tis poffible we may not be in fuch perfed: Charity as we Ihould be ; 'tis poffible there may be a Defe6t in our Charity, tho' we our felves do not difcern it ; 'tis poffible that our Forgivenefs of others may not be fo full and hearty as it ought to be ; and therefore 'tis very reafonable that we fliould always accompany this Profeffion or Declaration of our Charity to, and Forgivenefs of others, with earned Prayer to God, to fiipply the Defers of it by his Grace, and to make us grow and in- creafe in it, every Day more and more. This Forgive us ourDebts^ &c. explain' d. 249 This then is the full Meaning of this Petition; 'tis a Confefiion of our Sins, joined with a Prayer for the Pardon of them; and 'tis a fincere Declaration of our own Charity to others, joined with earneft Prayer to God for the Increafc and Perfedion of it. So that this is the Senfe which we ought to have in our Minds , when wc utter thefe Words in Prayer to God, Forgive tis our Tref ;pajfes^ as we forgive them that trefpafs againft ns ; 'tis as if we iliould fay, " We are fenfible, O God, we are ve- « ry fenfible, that we have in many " things tranlgrefs^d thy holy and righ- " teous Laws. Our own Confciences " witnefs againft us, that we have left " undone thofe things which we ought <-' to have done, and that we have done " thofe things which we ought not to " have done; but we cannot call back " our mif fpent time ; and to undo our " former Works, we are not able : and " how to make thee any Recompence ^' for our manifold Trefpafles , we know " not ; 2 5 o Forgive us our Debts ^ 8cc. explained. " not; and therefore we earneftly de- " fire, and we alfb hope ifi thy Good- ^* nefs, that thy Debt, which we are not " able to pay , thou wilt freely forgive '^ US; for this is what thou haft com- '^ manded us to do , to thofe who tref " pafs againft us. Thou haft made our ^* Forgivenefs of others the Condition of ^^ our obtaining Forgivenefs from thee ; " and this Condition, as being indeed very *' equal and reafonable, we approve of, and " do fulfil. We here declare that we have *' dealt, and will deal fo by others who " offend or injure us , as we defire to " be dealt with by thee. We here de- " dare that we have not, and will not ^' demand, what we know they are not *^ able to pay ; that we do not, and will *=' not avenge their Wrongs, but heartily *« and fully forgive them, even as we de- " fire to be forgiven by thee. And this ^' Declaration we make before thee , in ^^ the Sincerity of our Hearts, and we *^ hope there is nothing wanting on our ^' Part, in oaf Forgivenefs of others, to " make Forgive us ourDebts^ 8cc. explained. 251 " make us capable of thy Pardon : but ^' if there be, and we cannot be lure " there is not , then we humbly befeech ^' thee to lupply this Want, and to give us " thy Grace, that we may never forfeit " our Title to thy Pardon upon our Re- " pentance, by denying Pardon, bybear- " ing Hatred or Mahce , or a Spirit of " Revenge to any who trefpafs againft " us. And fo much may ftrve for the Expli- cation of this Petition. But as all the former Petitions of the Lord's Prayer did inftrud us in fome Du- ties, fo likewife does this. And this was the fecond thing I propounded to do , in dilcourfing upon thefe Words, viz. II. To fliew what good Leflbns we are taught , what Duties we are inftruft- ed in, and oblig'd to, by our Ufe of this Petition; forgive m our Trefpajfes^ as we forgive them that trefpafs a- ga'tnfl its. And ijz Forgive us ourDebts^ &c. explain' d. And there are chiefly three things which wq may learn from hence, i. In general ; that there is fome Condition ne- celTary on our Part, to quahfy us to ob- tain Pardon of our Sins. x. And more par- ticularly that our forgiving others their TrefpafTes againft us, is 2i necefTary Con- dition of obtaining our own Pardon. And, 3. Laftly; we are hence hkewife inftrudted in the Nature of that Forgive- ne(s, which it is our Duty to grant to thofe who trelpals againft us. I. I lay, we may hence learn in gene- ral, that there is fome Condition necefla- ry on our Part , to qualify us to obtain Pardon of our Sins ; forgive us our Tref- pajfesj as we forgive ; or, // we for- give-^ or, (as 'tis exprefs'd in St. Luke^J for we forgive them that trejpafs a- gainft us. Here is a Condition plainly liippos'd to be done and performed by us, at the time when we put up this Pe- tition for Pardon. And Forgive lis ourDebts^ 8cc. explained, i j 3 And the Truth is , God has no where promifed that he will pardon our Sins ab- folucely, without any Condition, or only upon the Condition of our asking Pardon ; and what God has not promifed to grant, we cannot ask with any AfTurance of ha- ving it granted. For the only juft Ground of a good AfTurance , that our Prayers will be anfwered, is a Perfuafion that the Matter of them is fuch as is agreeable to the Goodnefi and Promifcs of God ; ac- cording to that of the Apojile ^ ijoh. V. 14. This is the Confidence that we have in him^ that if we ask any things according to his Will-, he heareth us. Nay, indeed, to ask any thing of God which he has promifed only upon Condi- tion, without performing, fo far as we are able , the Condition upon which he has promifed it, argues a mean Opinion of God , and offers a dired Affront to him. For, by putting up fiich a Petition, we do as good as fay , that tho' indeed God feems rciblv'd not to grant us the thing which we ask, but upon certain Terms 2 54 Forgive us our Debts ^ &c. explain' cl. Terms and Conditions, yet we hope to cheat him out of his Kindnefs by Flattery and fair Speeches, without performing the Conditions required by him. Seeing then that Forgivenefs of Sins will not be granted to us , but upon cer- tain Terms and Conditions to be per- formed on our Part, it is our Duty to in- form our felves what they are, and to en- deavour, before we preiume to put up this Petition, to qualify our felves to re- ceive the Pardon which we pray for. Now the Conditions upon which only God has promifed to pardon our Sins, are thefe three : (i.) Repentance ; (x.) Prayer ; and, (3.) Forgivenefs of others. And the fecond of thefe Conditions we do acStually perform, when we ufe the Lord's Prayer , or when we put up this lame Petition in any other Form of Con- fcffion and Supplication; and the third of them, viz. our Forgiveneft of others, is, as I faid, a particular Duty which we are efpecially taught in this Petition, and of which I iliall difcourle fomewhat by and Forgive us ourDehu^ &c. explained. 2 y y and by. So that the only thing now to be done, is to fliew that Repentance is a neceflary Condition of obtaining Pardon without which all our Prayers for it will be unavailable. And for the Proof of this, it may be fiijfEcient to cite two or three plain Teftimonies of holy Scripture, fuch as that oilfaiah, Ch. i. f, 16. ^c. where after the Trophet had declared at large the Unacceptablenefs of the Prayer and Sacrifices of the Jews^ he propofts this as the only Method to make them better accepted for the future, and avail- able for their Pardon; wajh jiou, lays he, make you clean^ put away the Evil of your "Doings from before mine Eyes ; ceafe to do Evtl^ learn to do well% feek Judgment^ relieve the opprejfed^ j^dge the father lefs , plead for the Widow ^ Come now-, and let us reafon together^ faith the Lord\ tho' your Sins be as Scarlet , they jhall be as white as Snow ; tho' they be red., like CrimfoUj they Jhall be as Wool. And fiich ano- ther Place, to this Purpofe, is that in c EzeL ij6 Forgive us ourDeks^ Sec. explatn'd. Ez,ek. xviii. 21, xx. If the wicked will turn from all bis Sins that he hath committed^ and keep all my Statutes^ and do that which is lawful and rights he Jhall furely live^ he /hall not die ; all his Tranfgrejfions that he hath com- mitted^ they jhall not be mentioned un- to him% in his Righteoufnefs that he hath done^ he jhall live. And fuch a- nother is that in Trov. xxviii. 13. He that covereth his Sins jhall not prof fer^ but whofo confejfeth and forfaketh them:, jhall have Mercy. Upon thefe Terms Pardon was promifed by God to Sinners in the Old Teftament ; and up- on the fame, and no other, it is promi- fed in the New, as may be feen (to name no other Places,) in ABs iii. 19^ Repent ye , therefore , and be con- verted j that your Sins may be blot- ted out. Seeing therefore we can obtain Par- don upon no other Terms than our Re- pentance, 'tis to no Purpofe to pray for it, fo long as we negled to perform this Forgive us ourDehts^ &c. explained. 241 this Condition. And therefore from this Petition in the Lord's Prayer, wherein we are taught to pray for Pardon, we are likewife plainly inftrudled , that it is our indifpenfable Duty, by a hearty Repentance for all our Sins, to qualify our felves to receive that Pardon which we pray for. And the leafl that can be accounted Repentance, for any Sins, of any kind, which we have been guilty of, is an hearty Sorrow for what we have done amifs, and a fincere Refolution and En- deavour not to commit them again ; this is the only Notion of true Repentance which the Scripture teaches ; and there- fore, unlefs we do thus truly repent us of our Sins , 'tis to no manner of pur- pofe to put up this Petition of the Lord's Prayer , forgive us our Trefpajjes ; for, till then, it will not be heard and an- fwered. But yet even thefe, I mean a Sorrow for our paft Sins , and the forbearing to repeat them, are not a fufBcient Repen- [Rj tance 242 forgive us ourDebts^ 8c c. expla'tr^d. tance for all Sins ; for where it can be done, we raufi: do more ihaii this, I mean, w^e muft unda ocrr former Works, we nnuft fee to right what w^e have put out of Order ; and this \s what may be done in mod of the Sins of Injuflice to- wards Men. The Damage we have done to our Neighbour, we may repair; the Goods we have wrongfully taken or de- tain'd from him, we may reftore; and for any other Injury which wx have done him, we may make him Satisfa- ction. And this is what mufi be done, \i we can do it, before we can fay this Petition of th^ Lord's Prayer; /. e. be- fore we may prefume to beg Pardon of God for any fuch Sins. And fo we are plainly taught by our Saviour himfclf, in Matth. v. 23. If thou bring thy Gift U the Altary and there remembrefi that thy Brother hath onght agatnft thee j. leave there thy Gift before the Altar ^ and go thy way ; firff be reconciled to thy Brother^ and then come and offer thy Gift. But, X. As Porpvemot^rDehts, Set. explahfd. i^i^ i. ^s from this Petition of the Lord's Prayer, wherein \^c are taught to b'cg Pardon of our SiiYs, not alDfolutdfy, but conditibnall'y, a*s v<^'c forgive bthtfs ; we kafn in general th'at there i's foii^evvh^ac ro' !!)e d'oWe on out Part;, to* (!5['uaUiy uS for G6d's Pardon ; fo w6 h^nce fca'rA li'iore p'arti'cularly, tlWt it is our riecelfa- ry Conditk)li to (^[u'afry uS tl6 fjra'y for the Pardbn of o\k dwri' Sitts a'gainft GOdl, that we Uibilld eM'cife the faiiie Mei^cy and' Coiii^aflion towards Men* \vho htive trefpaffed againft u^, whicli we oui* felves do beg of Godl Thi^^ is plainly imi3lied in the Periti- 6n it fcif;' ftyrgive us cur TrefpalTes, as ayy and fe- ven times in a T)ay turn again to thee, fayingy I repent ; thou jh alt forgive him ; and that by feven times our Saviour meant not a fmall, not any limited Number of times, appears plainly by his own An- fwer to St. Teterj Matth. xyiii. xi. For when St. Teter had put the Qiieflion to him, how often it was his Duty to for- give S 4 For^iJe m ourDehu^ Sec. explatyi'd. give his Brother , whether until fevea times;' ouf Ldrcf iinlwered' hi'm, 1 fay Mt nftto thee\ until feven times y but uiitil fevettty times [even, (3.) Laffly; the ta'i^don which we define of God'- is full a^d cffeduat; we pray that he vVowld cleajl'y blot out all our Iniquities, aM free ti^ frx^fia^all' the Pu- Biih'rtient thereof. Such therefbi'e fliouid' our Pardon be , 6f tfhofe Trefpaflcs whicli are committed againft tis i it fli^tild be a fiitlt and perfed Pardon; \X^e ftbuld' foi^gi've n6t only out- u^ardty, but from^ the Hedft ;> we lh<3uld not bear the Icaft Degree of 6rudge or Mahce in our Minds, tmvards- thole whom' we forgive, but fliould be as per- fedlly reeoncil'd to thcrri, as if they had never offended us. I conclude all', therefore, with thofc Words of the Apoflle, GololT. iii. Hi, 1-3. "^ut 6ft\, ds the EleEi of God ^ holy arid Bel'ovedy Bvwek of Mercies^ KindnefST, Htmble^ Forgive us curDebts^ &c. explain' d, 2 5 j' Humblenefs of M'lnd^ Mccknefs^ hong- Jttjfertng\ forbearing one another^ and forgiving one another^ if any Man have a ^iarrel or Complaint againft any ; e- n;en as Chr if forgave you^ fo alfo do ye. Lead Lead us not into TEMPTATION,^r. E X P L A I N'D. 2 59 DISCOURSE VIIL Lead us not into Temptation^ but^ (^c. Explained. M AT T H. VI. 13. And had us not into Temptation^ but deliver us from Ei^iL ^^^^^^N the Lord's Frayer (as I ^TtISI ^^^^ formerly obferved ) are ^ «^ Three principal Parts, The Preface, The Body of the Prayer, and The Conclufion. S % Tlie -260 Lead us not into Temptationy The Preface confifts of a Solemn Invo- cation of Almighty God, whom we are taught to Stile, Our Father which is in Heaven. The Body of the Prayer confifts of Six diftind Petitions. And the Conclufion contains a Doxo- logy, or a Solemn giving Glory to God ; Thine is the Kingdom^ the Power y and the Glory y for ever. And of the Preface, and of Five of the Petitions I have already fpoken; the Sixth Petition is what I am now to Dif- courfe of; Lead us not into Temptationy hit deliver its from Evil. In Difcourfing on which, I fhall ob- ferve the fame Method that I have be- fore done in Difcourfing on the other Five, i. e. I. I fhall explain the Meaning of the Petition, or ihew what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds , when we utter thele Words in Prayer to God, Lead us not in- to^ &c. And, n. X Explained. 261 11. I fliall fliew what good Leflbns we may learn, what Duties we are taught and inftruded in, by our Ufe of this Petition. I. I fliall explain the Meaning of the Petition, and fliew what Senfe we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter thefe Words in Prayer to God, Lead m not into Temptatiorij but deliver lis from Evil And this Petition confifts of Two Parts, not exadly the fame, and yet not much differing in Senfe from each other. 1. Lead m not into Temptation '^ and, 2. Deliver us from Evil I. Lead us not into Temptation, For the underftanding of which we mufl en- quire, (i.) What is meint by Tempta- tion -^ and, (x.) How God may be faid to lead lis into it. (i.) What is meant by Temptation. And, S3 I. The 262 Leadm not into Te^iptatmij I. The Word Temptation moft proper- ly fignifies nothing elfe but only a Trial or Experiment made of any Perfon, to fee of what Temper and Difpofition he is, and how he is morally qualified. And thus God tempted Abraham^ when he laid upon him that hard Command of Sa- crificing his only Son Ifaac ; by which God made a full Trial of his Faith and Obedience, and declared himfelf fully fa- tisfied therewith ; as the Angel fpeaking in the Name of God, and of God after the manner of Men, teftifies, Ge?i. xxii. 12. Now I know that thou fear efl God, feeing thou haft not withheld thj Son, thhie only Son^ from me. And thus all AfHidions and Adverfities that befal the Body are Temptations : I. e. They are Trials of our Faith and Pa- Jam. i. 2. ; tience. My Brethre7ij fays St. James, count it all Joy when ye fall into divers Temptat707is ; i. e. when ye are perfecu- ted and afflid^ed. And thus, hkewife, Profperity is alfo a Temptation ,• for 'tis a Trial of our So- E X P L A I n' D. 263 Sobriety, and Humility, and Truft in God. Thus indeed all the different States and Circumflances that any of us are in , are Temptations ; i. e. They are fuch Trials as God fees good to make of our Faith and Virtue ; not to fatisfy himfelf (for he knows before-hand what we will do) but to fatisfy our felves and others , how we (land affeded towards him, and to make the Righteoufnefs of that Judgment which he will pafe upon us, either to Sal- vation or Damnation, evident to all the World. Now againft thefe and all fuch Tem- ptations as thefe in general, we ought not to pray ; for they are the neceflary Con- dition of our Living here in this World ; our whole Life here being nothing elfe but a State of Trial, and confequently of Temptation ; fuch as it was neceflary we fliould be put into , in order to make us capable of either Reward or Punifhment. For there would be no Virtue if there were no Trial of Virtue, and no Vice S 4 if 2 i^4 Lead us not into Temptation^ if there were no Temptation or Induce- ment to it ,• it being hardly to be fuppo- fed that any Man that believes a future State, or has any Senfe of Religion, would chufe to commit Wickednefs, only for its own Sake, without any Profped: of Pro- fit or Plealure, or fome other worldly Ad- vantage. And if we manfully refifl thefe Temptations that we are aflaulted with, our Reward in Heaven will be great, pro- portionally to the Power and Strength of thofe Temptations that we meet withal and overcome. And therefore St. James (as I obferved before) in the firft Chapter of his Epiftle, at the id Verfe, bids us to count it all Joy when we fall into divers Temptations; knowing thu^ that the Trying of our Faith worketh Patience. And ver. 12. Bleffedy fays he, w the Man that endnreth Temptation ; for when he is tried he jhall receive the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promifed to them that love him. 2. Therefore , becaufe fometimes we do not abide thofe Trials which God makes Exp lain'd. ^6^ makes of us, but fink under them, and are overcome by them, (therefore, I fay) the word Temptation is fometimes, and indeed moft commonly, us'd in a bad Senle, for fiich an Allurement and Induce- ment to Sin, as does ad:ually prevail with us to commit the Sin ; or for fuch a Trial of us, as is made with a Defign that we fliould commit the Sin which we are tem- pted to. And thus the Bevil tempts us ; that is, he allures and invites us to commit Sin ; he lays Baits for us of a delicious Tafte, or finely gilded over, w^hich he hopes we will catch at, and take in, and with them fwallow down alfo the Hook that was co- vered over therewith. And thus to pray that we may not fall into Temptation, or be led into Temptation^ is the fame Thing in Effed", as to pray that we may not fall by the Temptation, or that we may not fall into the Sin that we are tempted to, or that we may not be enfnar'd and taken Captive by the Devil. But 2 66 Lead u^s not into temptation^ But taking the word Te?nptation in this Senfc , God does ntvct tempt us ; we we can't confequently, taking the Word in this Senfe, pray that God would not lead U6 into Temptation ; for he never de- figns our Sin or Fall by any Trial that he makes of us , but only our Improvement in Grace and Virtue. And thus we are taught by St. James ^ Jam. i. 13. Let no Man fay^ when he is tempted^ i. e. when he actually falls into any Sin, (let him not fay) I am tempted of God ; i, e. I was fe- duc'd and betray'd thereinto by God ; for God cannot he tempted with Evil, neither tempteth he any Man. But now, if it be fo, that the firft Sort of the Temptations before fpoken of; f. e. the Trials of our Faith and Obedience, are fiich as we ought not to pray againft, but rather to rejoice at, as has been fliewn already : And if the lafl Sort of Tem- ptations, thofe which are defign'd to en- fnare us, are fuch as God doth not ufe up- on us, for he never defigns to allure or in- vite us to commit Sin ; He tempteth no Many Explained. 267 Many as St. James fays ; How is it that we are taught in this Petition to pray to God that He would not lead us into Tem- ptation I For all God's Temptations are defign'd for our Good, for the Exercife of our Virtue, and the Increafe of our Re- ward : And the other Temptations, thofe which are defign'd for our Hurt, are the Devil's Temptations , and not God's. This therefore was the next Thing I was to give an Account of,- Viz,. (a.) How God may be faid to lead m into Temptation. And the Cafe is this ; Tho' it be the Devil that tempts us to Sin , he could do nothing without God's Permiflion : And fuch is his Subtilty and Power, and fuch is our Eafinefs and Weaknefs , that his Temptations muft needs prevail againfl us, unlefs God be pleas'd by his Grace to affift and enable us to overcome them. So that whenever God fuffers the Devil to tempt us above our Strength, or by fuch a ftrong Temptation as can hardly % but ^2 68 Lead us not into Temptation ^ but prevail ; or when he does not furnifh us with fiipernatural Strength to refifl filch Temptations ; In any of all thele Cafes, God may , in fome Senfe , be faid to lead ii^s (becauffe he, who if he pleafed could eafily hinder it, fuffers us to be led) into Temptation, This therefore is what, in this Petiti- on, we pray that God would not do, that he would not fo lead us into Temptation ; i. e. that He would never fuffer us to be tried above our Strength ; or that if the Temptation that he fuffers us to be a/Iault- ed with, be fuch as would prevail againft our Weaknels, he would be pleas'd fo to ftrengthen us by his Grace, that we may be able to refift it. And this is a Petition which we have good Warrant to put up to God, becaufe it is no more than God, who is Faithful, has promised, i G?r.x. 13. God u faith- ful^ who will not fitlferyou to he teftipted above what ye are able ; but will with the Temptation alfo make a way to efcapey that ye may be able to bear it. But Explained. ^^p .1 1 1 I i I I .1 II III '■ But now if this be God's Promife, and he^ being fakhfid, will certainly make it good, not to fuffer us to be tempted above ivhat we are able ; here rifes another Dif- ficulty ,• vii^. what Need there is of our Praying for that whicli God will certainly do, whether w^e pray for it or no. But this Difficulty will be eafily re- mov'd;^ by confidering thefe Two Things. I. That this Promife of God^ that he will not fuffer us to be tempted above what we are able, or that he \^4]1 grant us fufficient Grace to withftand and over- come the Temptations we are aflaulted with, is, like all the other Promifes of the Gofpel, a Conditional Promife, to en- title us to which there is fomething to be done by us : And particularly, that Pray- er to God is the Condition to be perform'd on our Part, to give us a Right and Title to this Promife of God; that Prayer to God is the Condition of our obtaining fiifficient Grace, according to that of our Saviour ^ Matth. vii. 7. Afk^ a?iditfiaS be 70 Leadtps not into Temptation ^ he given you ; by which he plainly inti- mates, that unlefs we do ask we may go without it: And fo St. James fays exprelsly. Jam. iv. z. Te have ?ioty be- caufe ye ask not. And yet in this Cafe our Sin and Deftrudion may be of our felves, becaufe we might, for the asking, have had fufficient Grace to avoid them. But then it may be confider'd further, 2, That if there were no Condition Pre-requifite for the obtaining of fufficient Grace ; if we might be fure of it without our asking, by virtue of this Promife j yet this, as well as any other Right or Privilege which we once had a Title to, may be forfeited by our Misbehaviour. And this may be, and without Doubt oftentimes is, the Cafe here. God at firfl fuffers us not to be tempted above our Strength, and this he does of his meer Goodnefs, without any Condition on our Part : And fo long as we make good Ufe of that Grace which is afforded us, fb long our Title to a fufficient Meafure of it Explained. ^71 it holds good. But if we at any Time, wilfiijly and deliberately chufe the Com- miflion of a Sin, while we had fufRcient Strength to refifl: the Temptation, we thereby forfeit all our Right and Claim for the future. And the fame Goodnefs which gave us fufficient Grace at firll, and which would ftill have continued to do the fame, if we had been careful to co-operate with it, may not give us fuf- ficient Grace every Time afterwards that we are tempted ,• but rather, our finning wilfully, when we had fufficient Grace given us to keep us from finning, may juftly provoke God to leflen or withdraw that Grace which we have fo much a- bus'd; according to that Threatning of our Saviour, From him that hath not, [hall be taken away, even that which he hath. And indeed befides ; If God fhould con- tinue to us the fame Meaflire of Grace af- terwards that he had communicated to us before, (which yet is more than can rea- fonably be hopd) 'tis to be confider'd never- 2 7^ L^^d us not into Tempt at ioUy neverthelefs, that fuch a Meafure of Grace as was before fufficient, may not be fufficient afterwards; becaufe that Grace that was before given, might be proportion'd only to our natural Weak- nefs ; and by every wilful Sin we render Our felves weaker and weaker, and con- fequently needing a greater Meafure of Grace to keep us from falling ; and tho' God may be thought to be ( if we may be allow'd fo to fpeak ) under fome fort of Obligation in Equity, fo to afTift our weak Nature as that we fliould not at firfl neceflarily fall into a Sin, he can t be thought oblig'd upon the fame Account to increafe his Grace when w^e come to have Need of a greater Meafure of it than we had at firfl: ; becaufe that we have now need of more Grace than we had then, is our own Fault only, who have weakened our Nature by Evil Cufl:om: And there is no Reafon to exped:, that God's Grace fliould abound according as our Sin dpes abound. Now Exp l a I n ** d. 73 Now this is in Truth the Cafe ; we had (iifficient Strength once, either by Nature or by Grace, (and 'tis no Matter now by which) to have withftood thofe Temp- tations to Sin which God did then fuffer us to be a/Iaulted with ,• it was our own Fault, therefore, that we then fell, when w^e had Strength to Hand ; and ever fince that firft Fall, we have fallen very fre- quently; (this we own'd in the former Petition, when we prayed for Forgiveneft of our Trefpafles ; ) And therefore ha- ving by our own Sin forfeited all Claim to the Divine Grace, there is great Rea- fbn that we fliould now beg it as a Fa- vour, fince we can't claim it as a Due, that God would not lead us into Tem- ptation ; 7. e. That either he would not luffer us to be tempted above our Strength, that is, not above thofe Remains of the Strength of Nature that are Hill left to us ; or elfe, in Cafe he fees fit to permit us to be aflaulted by more violent Temp- tations, that he would be pleas'd to give us fuch a Supply of his Grace, as may T be a 74 Lead us not into Temptation^ be fufficient to ftrengthen our Wcaknefs, and to enable us to refift and conquer them. Thus we pray that God would not lead us into Temptation, i. e, that in this State of Trial and Temptation, which we are now put into by the Divine Pro- vidence, he w^ould be pleas'd to have ConfiderationofourWeakncfs; vi:z, both of the Weaknefs of our frail Nature, and alfo of that greater Weaknefs which we have contracted by our former Sins, and never fufifer us to be tempted above what we are able. Lead us not vita Tempta- tioji. But it follows in this fame Petition, 2. But deliver ti^s from Evilj the Mean- ing of which Words I am now to fliew. And there are Three Significations of the Word Evilj all which are confiflent together, and agreeable to the Scope and Deilgn of the Place, and therefore how- ever we may approve any one of them more than another, I do not fee why we fliould exclude any of them. For, I. By Explained. ^275 1. By the Evil that we here pray to be delivered from. Me may underfland the Evil of Stjij which is fometimes in Scrip- ture called Evil; as in Habak i. 13. Thou art of purer Eyes thafi to behold Evil. And taking the Word in this Senfe, this Claufe of the Petition, Deliver m from Evily will be the fame in Senfe with the former, Lee J m not into Temptation ; For then, what we here pray for will be, that God would fo afllft us by his Grace, that we may not fall by any Tempta- tions that we are allaulted with. Or, 2. By Evily we may underfland the Evil of PimiJJment ; which is likewife in Scripture fometimes exprefs'd by that Word, as in Jer. xviii. 8. In which Verfe we have an Inftance of the Word Evily ufed both in this Senfe, and in the former Senfe of it. If fays God, that "Natioji againjl who?n I have fpoken^ timi from their Evilj ( i, e, from the Evil of their V/ays) / will repefit of the EvtJy ( i. e, of the Evil of Punilliment ) which T 2 Ihad Qjd Lead us not into Temptation^ t had thoTtght and threatned to do wito them. And fo it is likewife faid in Jonah iii. lo. That God repented of the Evil that he faid he would do unto Niniveh, and he did it not ; f. e. He did not bring that Deftrudion upon them wliich he had fent Jonah to denounce againft them. And taking the Word Evil in this Senfe, this Claufe of the Lord s Prayer will be much the fame in Senfe with the Fifth Petition, Forgive us our Trefpaffes ; For then our Sins are forgi- ven us by God, when the jufl Punifliment of them is remitted, when we are deli- vered from that Evil which we had de- ferv'd to fuffer. Or, 3. Lajlljf; By JE'W we may underfland the Evil One^ i. e, the Devil^ who is fometimes in Scripture fo called ; as par- ticularly in I John iii. 12. Isfot as Cain^ . who was of that wicked 0?ie^ i)t tS Trcr-xi^?, the fame V/ord that is ufed here, Deliver us from Evilj chn t5 TTDrKfS, from the , Evil One. And he may well be called, the Explained. "^17 the Evil One^ becaufe he was the firft Author of all the Sin that has been in the World, and of all the Mifery that has been, or ever will be caufed thereby. Now thefe Three Senfes of the Word Evil J are (as I faid before) all confi- ftent with, and fubordinate one to the other, lb that I think they may allh^ well enough underftood to be dejfign'd in this Place, when we are taught to fay. Deliver us from Evil; For by the Evil of 5fw, we render our felves obnoxious to the Evil of Ptmijhmentj and particularly to that greateft of all Punifliments, to be led Captive by the Devil here, and to be eternally tormented by him hereafter. The Senfe then that we ought to have in our Minds, when we utter the Words of this Petition, is this, as if we fliould fay ; " We know^, O Lord, that we are ^-^ fet in the midft of many and great " Dangers, by reafon of the various " Tcmptatiofls that we are fubjed: to in this Mortal Life, which we can't refifl but by thy Help; and therefore we T 3 pray u a 78 Lead tis not into Temptation^ " pray thee, without whofe Appoint- " ment or Permiflion, nothing can hap- ^' pen to us, that either thou would'fl: " not fufifer us to be tempted frrongly^, " or elfe that thou would'fl; be pleas'd " to grant us fuch a large Supply of thy ^- Grace, that we may not fall by any " Temptation, how fl:rong foever it be ; ^' but that being by thy Help preferv'd " from all Sin, we may alfo clearly " efcape the Punifliment thereof, both in " this World and in the next. Lead us " 7iot into Temptation, but deliver m from « Evil And now, having explained the Mean- ing of this Petition, I proceed in the Se- cond Place, according to the Method before laid down, II. To Ihew what good Lellbns we may learn, what Duties we are taught and inllruded in by our Ufe of this Pe- tition. And, |. As Explained. Q79 J. As we pray J fo we ought to pra- ^jfe; This is a general Rule of Duty,- we fliould never pray for any Thing, but we fliould at the fame Time endeavour, by the Ufe of all lawful Means that are in our Power, to procure the fame to our felves; For God is no Friend to Sloth and Lazinefs ; he has no w here promised to help thofe who will do nothing for themfelves. Befides, Help is but Help^ It enables thofe that work to perform the Work that they fet tliemfelves^ to, but it does not do their Work for them; It aflifls them that endeavour to do their Work, but it would be more than Help and AX- fiftance if it did all the Work by it felf, without their Concurrence and Co-ope- ration. Being therefore here taught to pray to God, that Vv^e may not be led in- to Temptation, it is plainly our Duty not to run our felves into Temptation, but on the contrary, to ufe all the pru- dent Means we can to avoid the fame. T 4 And 280 Lead us not into Temptation ^ And this Duty we are taught by our Saviour himfelf, at the xpth and 30th Verfes of the foregoing Chapter. If thy Right Eye offend thee pluck it out^ and cafl it from thee^ — and if thy Right Hand offend thee cut it offj and cajl it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members Jhoiild perijljy and not that thy whole Body Jhould be cafl into Hell. 'Tis in vain, 'tis indeed too late, to pray that we may not be led into Tem- ptation, or that we may not fall by the Temptation, when we our felves have chofen it ; for by wilfully running into Temptation, we confent to our own Fall ; by chufing what we forefee will be the Occafion of our finning, we give Con- fent to the Sin that is occafion'd thereby, and fully contrad: the Guilt of the Sin- ful Adion, even before the Ad:ion it felfisdone. Nay, by chufing the Tem- ptation we contrad the Guilt of the Sin, although by fome other Reftraint or Im- pediment accidentally coming in our W^y, we Explained, 28 we fliould be hindred from doing the Ad: it felf; fo that whenever we give our Confent to that which will probably be the Caufe or Occafion of our committing a Sin, we do then fall into Temptation, and we do then fall by the Temptation ; and when we our feives arc our own Tempters, 'tis no better than trifling with God, or mocking of him, to pray, that he would not lead us into Temptation-^ but deliver us from EviL 2. From our Ufe of this Petition in the Lord*s Prayer, we are further taught, that 'tis not only our Duty to avoid Tem- ptations as much as we can, but likewife to fore-arm our feives as well as we can againft thofe Temptations which we are liable to in this mortal State, and which by all our Care and Caution we cannot wholly avoid. For 'tis a vain Thing to pray to God for any Good, either Spi- ritual or Temporal, which we our feives will be at no Pains to procure to our feives. And therefore we are taught by our o 8 2 Lead us ?iot into Temptation^ our Saviour not only to pray, but like- wife to watch againft Temptation, Matth. xxvi. 41. Watch and praj^ that ye enter not into Temptation. And Mark xiii. 33. Take ye Heed^ Watch and Praj^ and Verfe 37. What T fay unto yon-, I fay unto alJj Watch. And to this fame Pur- pofe we are alfo exhorted by the Apo- files; by St. James ^ Jam. iv. 7. Refifl the Devil', hy St. Peter^ 1 Pet. v. 9. Be fober^ be vigilant J becaufe your Adverfary the Devil^ as a roaring Lion^ walketh about feeki?jg whom he may devour ; whom re- Jift^ fiedfajl in the Faith. And by St.Paztl^ Eph. vi. 11. Put on the whole Armour of God, that ye ?nay he able to fland againft the Wiles of the Devil. And indeed, if we fct our felves with all our Strength to refiil Temptations, we may then reafonably hope for fuch an Af- fiflance of the Divine Grace as will ena- ble us to overcome them ; but if we our felves give Ground, wliile we are able to ftand, there is great Reafon to fear that God will withdraw his Grace from us, I when Explained. 289 when he ftts we do not ufe it and improve it as we ought to do ; according to that fevere, and yet mod juft Threatning of out Saviour^ before-cited, Matth, xiii. i x, Whofoever hath, to him Jljal/ be giveriy and he jhall have more Ahimdance ; but whofoever hath notj ( t. e. makes not ufe of what he has ) from htm fljall be takeyi ' * away-, even that which he hath, ^. Laftly, From the Place which this Petition has , from the Order in which it lies in the Lord's Prayer ; from its fuc- ceeding the foregoing Petition, wherein we had begg'd Forgiveneft' of our Sins, and from its being immediately fubjoin d thereunto, we may learn, That there is no Ground to hope for Forgivenefs of our paft Sins, without a firm Refolution and a fincere Endeavour to reform our Lives. For unlefs this were neceflary to obtain a full Remiflion of our paft Sins , we might have put an End to our Prayer with that Petition ; becaufe having our Sins forgiven, we fliould by that alone, be capable ^84 head us not into Temptation^ capable of, and entitled to , all the Pro- mifes of tlie Gofpel, and fo fliould not need to be concern'd for any Thing fur- ther. According to that of the Pfalmiffj Ffalm xxxii. i, x. Blejfed is he whofe Tin- righteoiifnefs is forgiven^ and whofe Sin is covered. Bleffed is the Man imto whom the Lord ifnpitteth not hiiqutty. Being therefore here taught, after we had begg'd Pardon of our former Sins , ftill to conti- nue our Petition ; and to beg yet farther for Divine Grace and Help to enable us to refift and overcome Temptations for the Time to come, it hereby plainly appears, that we are not capable of this Blefledneft that the Pfalmifl fpeaks of, without a Re- formation of our Lives ; and confequent- ly, that RemilTion of Sins , wherein that Blellednefs does confifl, will not be granted to us on any other Terms. And this is agreeable to the whole Tenor of the Bi- ble; Repent and be converted ^ that your Sins may he blotted out ; fo the ApofHes preach'd, ABs'iw, 19. And repent of this thy Wickednefs^ and pray Gody if perhaps the Explained. 28^5 the Thought of thine Heart may be for- given thee^ was the good Advice of St. Peter to Simon the Magician ,- Acis viii. zx. firjl he was to repent i and then he was to pray for Par Jon ; for a Prayer for Pardon before, or without Repentance, the Apoftle knew w^ould be ineffedual : And to them who obferve the Method there prefcrib'd by the Apoflle ; i. e. who both repent, and alfo pray for Pardon, a moft fure Promife of Forgivenefs is made; Ifaiah i. 16, 17, 18. JFafi youj make y on clean^ put away the Evil of your Doings from before mine Eyes^ ceafe to do Evil^ learn to do wellj feek Judgment^ relieve the oppreffed^ j'^dge the Fatherlefsy plead for the Widow. Come now^ and let lis reafon together^ faith the Lord^ tho your Si?is be as Scarlet j they fiall be white as Snow , tho they he red like Crimfon^ they flmll be as Wool And to the fame Senfe is that of the Wife Man , Prov. xxviii. \^, He that cover eth his Sins jh all not pro/per , but whofo confeffeth and for - faketh thempjall have Mercy, And a 86 Lead us not into Temptation^ &c. And now I have done with the Second Part of the Lord's Prayer, which confifls of Petition to God. The Third and laft Part of it is the Conclufion, contain'd in the latter Part of the i3thVerfe: For thhie is the King- dom^ the Power^ and the Glory ^ for ever^ Amen. But I think it will be befl to defer dif- courfing on that to fome other Time. lor For thine is the KINGDOM, d'c, E X P L A I N ' D. ^^^II^^^;^^^;^;;^^^^;^;^;!^;^^;!^^;^ 28p DISCOURSE IX. For thine is the Kingdom^ (^c.^ ExplainM. M A T T H. VL I 3, *-— F(?r tfcme ?> the Kingdom^ and the Foiver^ and the Glory ^ for eand is- -recorded in X Chro7h Explained. 293 I Chroji, xxiyi, 10. &c. And David f aid; Bleffed he thoitj Lord God of Ifraely our Father^ for ever a)id ever; Thine^ Lordy is the Greatnefs^ and the Power^ and the Glory ^ and the VkUory^ and the Majefj ; For all that is in the Heaven and in the Earthy is thine ; Thine is the Kin^doniy Lordy and thou art exalted as Head above all. Both Riches and Ho- noiir come of thee , and thoit reignejl over ally and in thine Hand is Power and 'l^ighty and in thine Hand it is to make great y and to give Strength unto all ; Now thereforey Our Gody we thank theey and praife thy glorioiis 'Same, Thine is the Kingdomy the Power y and the Glory for ever ; i, e, " We humbly acknowledge, and reverently adore the GreatneCs of thy Kingdom, the Mightinefs of thy Power, and die Glorioufnefs of thy '^ Majefty, and the Eternity of thefe and " all other thy Infinite and Glorious Per- " fedions/' But, ■ U ? 2. We a 94 P^^ ^f^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Kingdom^ &c. 2. We may alfo, as I faid, underftand thefe Words, as afligning fbme fpecial Reafons inducing us to ask, and which we hope will likewife induce God to grant the fevcral Requefts that we had before put up to him. And the Con- nexion that is made between thefe Words, and the foregoing Petitions by the Word, For^ For thhie u the Kingdom^ and the Vower^ and the Glorjj (terns to favour this Interpretation. And thus underftood^ the Senfe of them will be this. For thine is the Kingdom ; i, e, " We " therefore beg thefe Things of thee, be- " caufe thou art our King ; for thou art ^* the Sovereign Lord of the whole World 5 " and we are thy Subjeds, who have our " whole Dependence upon thee, and '^ muft receive all that we want from thy " Riches and Fulnefs. Upon which Ac- " counts it is befitting us to ask of thee, *^ and it is fuitable to thy Prerogative to ^' grant our Requefts. And thine alfo is the Tower; I e. " We ^^ therefore put up our Prayers to thee, ^* becaufe Explained. 295 " bccaufe we know that Thou, being of " infinite Power, art able to grant all " that we defire; And we alfo hope that thou wilt do it, b'ecaufe the granting thefe our Requcfts will be an Expref- fion and Manifeflation of the Greatnefs " of thy Power." And thine alfo is the Glory ; i. e. " By '^ making known our Wants to thee, and *' humbly craving a Supply thereof from " thy Bounty, we give thee the Glory ■ ' that is due unto thy Name. And this " alfo is a farther Ground of Hope to us, *^ that thou wilt grant our Requefts, be- " caufe to thee of Right will belong :' the Glory and Praife of all that we " have, and of all that v/e do; feeing " we have nothing but from thy " Bounty, and can do nothing but by " thy Help." And thine is the Kingdom^ and the Powery and the Glory for ever ; i, e, ^' As *' it now is, fo it ever was, and ever " will be; Thy Kingdom is an everlajl* " in£ Kingdom-i and thy Dominion en- . U 4 '^ dureth ^^<5 For thine is the Kingdom^ Uz. ' dureth throughout all Ages; And thy ^ Power is unalterable, not capable of ^ Increafe, becaufe infinite ; nor poflible ' to be lelTenVi, becaufe fuperior to all ' other Power; And thy Glory alfo is ^ Eternal ; And becaufe thou changeft ^ not, we have an entire Confidence, ' and a fure Truft in thee, that thou both ^ canft and wilt, both now, and at all ^ Times, hear the Prayers that we put up ' to thee". But thefe Two Senfes of this Claufe of the Lord's Prayer, though they are fomewhat different, yet are not at all dif- agreeing to each other; fo that they may both be well enough meant by us when we utter thefe Words. And then the full Senfe that w^c ought to have in our Minds, when we fay this Conclufion of the Lord's Prayer, will be, as if we fliould fay. — " And now that we have put up our ^- Petitions to thee for what we want, ^' it is but fit that we Ihould alfo render ^^ thee the Praife and Thanks that are ^' thy Due. We acknowledge therefore that Explained. 1(^^ " that thou art a great King, whom we " ought to Worfliip with the lowlieft " Reverence^ and we own that thy " Power is infinite, and are therefore " fiire that thou can'ft grant what we " have defired; And we confefs that " thy Glory is above all, and we there- " fore defire that thou may'ft be glorified ^^ in all the good Things that thou be- " floweft upon us; And laftly, we ac- " knowledge that thy Kingdom and '^ Power and Glory are for ever, that " they are Eternal, and immutable; and " therefore we do, and fhall at all times, " put our whole Truft in thee, becaufe " we acknowledge that thou can'ft never '' fail us" And this Conclufion of the Lords Prayer is fruitful of good InftrucStion, as well as were all the foregoing Claufes of it; And what Inftrudions they are that we receive from thence, was the next Thing I was to fliew. And, t. la 2^8 For thine is the Kingdom^ &:c. I. In general,- from this Doxologys or Form's of Praife being added by our Lord himfelf to that Form of Prayer which he has taught us to ufe, and according to which as a Pattern, we are to compofe all our own Prayers, we may learn, that It is our Duty always to accompany our Petitions to God for the Mercies we want, with Praifes and Thankfgivings to him for the Mercies we have received, and with joyful Acknowledgments of his Ma- jefty, GreatneiS and Bounty. According to thofe Diredlions given by tlie Jpojile, J The/ V 17, 18. Pray without Ceajingj and in every Thing give Thanks; and fhiL iv. 6. In every Things by Prayer and Supplicat'wn with Thankfgivings let your Requejis be made known unto God. a. And more particularly. From the Ftrji Claufe of this Doxology ; Wof thine is the Kingdom^ we are put in Mind that it is our Duty in all Things to fubmit our felves to the Will of God^ and Explained. 299 and to refign our felves to his Difpofal, whom we here acknowledge to have the Sovereign Dominion over all. From the Second Claufe of It, Thnne is the Power J we are farther taught, that it is our Duty in all our Straits and EJif- ficulties, to feek for his Grace and Suc- cour to dired and (iipport us, and in all our Dangers and Wants, to rely upon his AU-fufficiency to deliver and relieve us; according to that of the Apojlle^ in the Place juft before cited. Be careful for nothings but in every Thing by Prayer and Supplicat20?iy - — Let your Requejls be made knovpu unto God, And from the Third Claufe of it, Thine is the Glory : We are further taught to di- red: all our Adions to his Glory, to whom we here acknowledge that all Glory is due ; according to that of the fame Apofllej in I Cor, X. 31, Whether therefore ye eat ot drink,, or whatfoever ye do^ do all to the Glory of God, And laftly. From that Eternity which we here acknowledge in all the Divine 300 For thine is the Kingdom^ &c. Attributes and Perfedions , when we fay that his Kingdom, and Power, and Glory are for ever^ we are taught to worfliip him continually, to praife him evermore, and to give Divine Honours to none be- fides him ; becaufe He is God from Ever- lafting to Everlafling, and befides Him there is no other God, and his Glory he will not give to another. There is only one Word of the t-ord s- Prayer, that now remains to be fpoken of, viz. Amen, And this is an Hebrew Word, fignify- ing. Truly , verily^ or the like : And it is a Phrafe often us'd by our Saviour at the Beginning of his Speech, to engage the Attention and Credit of his Hearers to what he was about to fay, 'A/^^V h^yoo J/^tr, which we tranllate. Verily I fay unto you : And in the Gofpel of St. John the Word \% always doubled, 'Apii/, ^kfm>^ Verily^ verily ^ I fay unto yon \ i. e. of a Truth I fay unto you, or, in good Truth it is fo as I fay. And that this is the true Mean- ing of the Word , appears from feveral Places X P L A 1 N^ D. 301 Places in St. Lukes Gofpel , parallel to fome others in St. Matthew^ or the other Evangelifts, whsre he ufes the Greek Word d\r\^c^ the proper Signification of which is. Indeed^ Truly ^ or Of a Truths where the other Evangelifts had ufed the Hebrew Word, Afnen. Thus in Luke ix. 27. we read thofe Words of our Saviour ; I tell you 9 aA^^^5 of a truths that there be fome jlandtng here^ which fmll not taft'e of Deaths till they fee the Kingdom of God ; but in Matth. xvi. 28. and Mar. ix. i. where this fame Paflage is related, the He- brew Word, 'A/zJij', is retain'd 5 'A/Av ^iya vjJjLVj Verily^ I fay imtoyou. So again, in Liike xii. 44. 'tis faid, 'Am^c-, Of a truth I fay unto you^ he wiU maks, hi7n Ruler 0- ver all that he hath ; but in Matth. xxiv. 47. 'tis, ""AfJih, Verily^ I fay untoyou^ he will make him Ruler over all his Goods. And the fame may be obferv'd again, in Luke xxi. 3. where our Lord, giving his Judgment of the poor Widow, that had caft her Two Mites into the Treafury, fays, "AM^^y OfaTruthy I fay unto you^ that this 302 For thine is the Kingdom^ &:c. this poor Widow hath cajl in more than they all : But in Mar. xii. 43. the He- Brew is retain'd, ^AfJih^ Verily I fay unto jou^ this poor Widow hath cafl in more than they all. This therefore being the proper Mean- ing of the Word, Amen , it being an Ad- verb of Affirming, the Defign of Adding it at the Conclufion of any Difcourfe, is to affLr7n all that had been faid before ; we thereby declare and teftify our Approbation thereof, and Conlent thereto : And it de- notes liich a Sort of Approbation and Con- fent, as, confidering theNature of the foregoing Difcourfe, was proper to be given to it. And therefore when we repeat the Creed ^ we fay A?ne7i^ at the End of thatj by faying which Word there, we grant the Truth of all the Articles before re- hearsed, and declare our Belief thereof; There, Amen^ fignifies, So it isj this is the true Faith; or, All this I Jledfafly believe. And fo, w hen at the End of every one of thofe Curfes , which were order d 3 ^^ Exp lain'd. 303 to be pronounced upon Mount Ebaly Dent, xxvii. the People were taught to fay, Amenj the Defign was, that by fay- ing that Word they Ihould teftify, that thofe Curfes, upon fuch as did the Things there fpoken of, were juft and deferved, and fuch as all thofe wicked Doers might reafonably exped: fliould befal them. And of the like Ufe is the Word, Jmen^ in the Commination appointed in our Li- turgy to be read upon the Firft Day of Lent ; the Defign of it ( as the Church her felf teaches in the Exhortation at the Beginning of that Office) is, that the Congregation hing admoniJVd cf the great Indig^jation of God againjl Sinners^ may be warned to flee from thofe Vices for whichy by their faying, Amen^ at the End of every Sentence, they affirm with their own Months the Curfe of God to he due. And fo S\,. Pauly Rom. i. 2j. after he had faid of the Heathens, that they worfiipped and ferved the Creature more than the Creator^ who is hleffedfor ^tver^ adds, Amen^ meaning thereby fur- ther 904 For thine is the Kingdom^ &c. ther to Gonfirm that laft Claufe, who is bleffed for ever ; Amen, ?. e, he is Blef- fed for ever ; And he adds the fame Word again upon a like Occafion, to almoll the fame Form of Speech, in the ixth Chap- ter of that Epiftle, at the 5th Verfe^ only that as in the Words before cited, he had fpoken of God the Father, or the Firft Perfon in the ever BlefTed Trinity, he here affirms the fame of the Second Per- fon, OMY Lord Jefus Chrifi^ of whom he here fays, that he is over al/j God blejjed for ever ; whofe are the Fathers^ ( f . e. they were Jews ) and of whom as con- cernmg the Flejhy Chrift came^ who^ i. e, which Chrijlj is over all^ God bleffed for ever; and then he immediately adds the Word, Ainen^ in further Affirmation of that laft Claufe, wherein he had aflerted the Eternal Divinity of the Son ; that it might not feem to have been written ca- fually, or without good Thinking ; Chrijl is over aU^ God blejfed for ever^ Axnt^; i.e, fo mdeed it isj Chrifiis indeed God bleffed for ever. In both thefe Texts, the Word, y^w^;/, has theForce of a Repetition in oneWord, of % what Exp l a I n ' d. 305 what had been faid jull before in more Words. And of the like Ufe and Force is the Word Ame?Ty when 'tis added at the End of the Creedy or of a Vrayer. When we fay Amen at the End of the Creedy or whenever elfe we make ProfeC- fion of our Belief of any divine Truth, w^e mean by adding that Word to repeat over again in fliort, all that Profeflion of our Faith or Belief, which we had before made in feveral Words, or in feveral Sen- tences. The faying -^wd'/z there , is equi- valent to the faying over again all that had been faid before ;-^ it is a frefli Declaration of our Confent thereto, and our Belief thereof. But when the Word Amen is joined to a TrayeVj or is added at the End of a Prayer, as it is here, it then ferves to ex- prefs our Wifli or Defire, that the whole Matter of the Requeft to which it is fub- join'd, may be granted, or our good Hope that the fame will be granted. Thus in I Kings i. 36. when David had declared his Intention that Solomon fliould fucceed X him 3o5 for thint is the Kingdom^ &€. - — «- 1 him in the Kingdom , Benaiah the Son of Jehoiada anfwer'd the King, and faid. A- men , the Lord God of my Lord the King fayfo too. Where by this Word Amen he plainly meant to exprefi his Beftre that it might be fo as the King had faid. And thus alfo in Jerem, xxviii. 6. when the Prophet Hanamah had prophefy'd falfly, that the VefTeis which Nehtchad- nezzar h^d carntdirom J-er7tfaIe?n to Ba- kylouj iliould in a fliort Time be brought back again, the Prophet Jeremiah faid. Amen ; and yet he knew at the fame Time that the Prophecy was falfe ; he could not therefore be thought by faying that Word to give his Aflent to the Truth of it ; but neverthelefs becaufe the Matter of the Prophecy w^as good, and what the Prophet Jeremiah would have been as glad as any of them all might be fufiUed, he faid, A- men to it j t. e, he declared his own Wifli and Defire that it might be fo as Hananz- ah had faid, altho' he knew that it would not be fo. And fo he himfelf explains theWord , Jeremiah faid , Ainen^ The Lord dofo^ theLord perform thyWords which thou 2 hajl X P L A I N ^ D. 307 haft prophe fie d. And fo in Revel, xxli. 20. when our Lord had faid , Surely I come quickly^ the Apoftle St. John^ for himfelf, or in the Name of the whole Chriftian Church, immediately adds 5 Amen^ Even foj Come Lordjefii^ ; i.'e. May it be fo as thou haft promifed. And of the like Ufe is this Word A?neny when it is added at the End of thofe Be- nedid:ions wherewith moft of the Epi- files in the New Tefament are conclu- ded. If therefore the Prayer at the Conclu- fion of which, Ajtien is added, be fpoken by one, and the Amen be fpoken by ano- ther, as it is commonly in our Pubhck Prayers, when the Minifter only fpeaks the whole Prayej, and all the People at the End of it fay Afuen ; then they by laying Ameuy fignify their Confent tOj and their Concurrence with, the whole Prayer that had been utter'd before by the Minifter ; and their Meaning is the lame as when they fay in the Litany, fFe be- feech to hear its (rood Lord : But if the Amen be faid by the fame Perfon tiiat X % fpeaks 508 For tlmte is the Kingdom^ &:c. fpeaks the Prayer ; as when we fay Amen to our own Clofet and Private Prayers, the Amen is then a Repetition in one Word of all that had been faid before in all the Claufes of the foregoing Prayer ; 'Tis a frefli Breathing 'forth of dll thofe pious Defires or AfFecftions of the Mind , that had been before more largely exprefled. When therefore we fay Amen at the End of the Lord's-frayer , whether the Prayer be fpoken by our felves or ano- ther 5 the Senfe w^e fliould have in our Minds is this. If we refer it to the Invocation^ On? Father which art in Heaijen^ we fhould mean, " So it is , 'tis our Father in Hea- " ven, whom w^e put up our Prayers to, " and no other. If we refer it to the Petitions , we fliould mean, " So be it, the Lord fulfil " all our Petitions. Or if we refer it to the Boxology im- mediately preceeding. Thine is the King- do7n , and the Vower^ and the Glory ^ for ever , we fliould mean , as before in the Invocation, " So it is, thine indeed is the r King- Explained. 309 " Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glo- " ry for ever. But w hen this Word, 'Amen^ is added at tlie End of a Prayer , the Matter whereof \yq are fure is good and a- greeable to God's Will, ( as mofl certain- ly the Matter of this Prayer is, which was taught us by our Lord himfelf ) then both the foregoing Senfes of the Word may well be join'd together. So it is^ and fo be it ; then by the Word , Ameji^ we iliould not only fignify the Concurrence of our own Wiflies, but likewife our aflu- red Hope that the fame will be granted to us. And this is the Explication that is gi- ven of this Word in the Church Catechifm, where, after the Scholar had briefly gi- ven the Meaning of the foregoing Clau- fes and Petitions of the Prayer ; This and this, I defire of God in this Prayer; he is taught to fay, Jrul this I trufl he will do of his Mercy and Goodnefs , thro our Lord Jefii6 Chrift; and therefore I fay Ameiij fo he it. And fo much for the Meaning of the Word, Ameji. X 3 But 3 i o tor thine is n.e Kingdom^ &c. But from the Ufe of this Word, as well as of all the foregoing Ciaufes in this Prayer , we are alio inftrud"ed in our Du- ty. Two Things efpecially there are^, which we may learn from hence. t I. Being here taught by our Lord him- felf to (a};, Ainen at the End of Prayer, to teitify thereby our Confent thereunto, it plainly appears from hence, that the Prayers which are at any Time put up to God in Pubiick, ought to be exprels'd in fuch a Language, and in fiich a Stile, as may be eafily underftood by all thofe that are to join therein. For if they do not underitand what is faid , they can't ap- prove of it , they can't give a rational Cor.fent thereto , they can't fay Amen to it. it is highly expedient therefore, nay, it is abfoluteiy necejflary for the Edificati- on of the Church, that the Pubiick Pray- ers, which are defigned for the Ufe of all, fhould be fuited to the Capacities of all ; i. e. fliould be as plain, as eafy , as fami- liar as is pofTible ; that riot only all high Flights, X P L A I N • D. ::> 1 1 Flights, and Rhetorical Figures and Flou- riflies fliould be therein carefully avoided, but likewife all Words that are not of ve- ry eafy Meaning and of common Ufe. In a word , the Pubiick Prayers fliould be fuch as the Prayers of our Church are, the Words common, the Stile eaiy, the Sentences fhort , and the whole Phrafe and Compofure fuited to the Capacities of the Meaneft. And this is not only a Commendation of our Liturgy in particular , that it is fo form'd and contrived, that the Meaneft of the Congregation may underftand our Prayers, and fay Amen to them ; but it is in general an Advantage of premeditated or fet Forms of Prayer , above thofe which are conceived Extempore , that he that pens a Praj^er for Pubiick Ufe, may take Time to ftudy Plainnefs aiKl Perfpe- cuity , which he that prays Extempore cannot do. And indeed I am apt to think that one Reafon v/hy fome Perfons, who are not of the quickeft Apprehenfions, do more admire thefe extempore Prajers of others than they do the ftated Prayers X 4 of 31^ For thine is the Ki?7gdom^ &:c. of the Church, is becaufe they do lefs underftand them ; for People are gene- rally moft apt to admire that which they do leaft underftand. But above all , it is manifeftly moft abfurd and ridiculous, that the Publick Prayers, in which all are to join, fliould be put up , as they are in the Church of Rome ^ in an unknown Tongue, in a Language not underftood, perhaps, by One in Twenty , it may be, not by One in an Hundred of the whole Congregation. The Folly and RidiculouP nefs of which Pradice is moft evidently file wed in the xivth Chapter of the i ft Epifik to the Corinthians^ by feveral Arguments, and among others by this , that no Man can wifely and rationally fay Afnen , to a Prayer utter'd by another in an unknown Tongue, at the i ^th and following Ver- ks. What is it then^ I will pray with the Spirit^ and I will pray with the UnJer- Jlanding alfo : I will fmg with the Spirit j ■ and I willfing with the Under (landing al- fo. Elfe when thou fialt blefs with the Spirit , how Jhall he that occiipieth the room of the Unlearned fay Amen., at thy givin^ Explain*^ D. 313 giving of Thajiks^ feeing he under ft ajideth not "what thou fayejl ^ For thou verily^ (7. el thou thy felf, who underftandeft the Language which thou fpeakeft in, thou) givefl Thanks well • but the other ( i. e. He who underflads it not ) is not edifed. But, ' 2. When we (ay Amen at the End of any Prayer, or other Addrefs to God, it is fuppofed, not only that we underftood what went before, but that we minded it, and gave good Attention to it ; for when we fay Ainen to any Thing , we thereby give our Confent to it, and declare our Approbation of it : And how can we ap- prove of, how can we confent to a Prayer that is fpoken, if we do not attend to what is faid ? This therefore is another Duty that we are plainly inftrudted in by this Word, Amen ; vi^. when we are at Prayer, to keep our Mind to our Bufinefs, to attend diligently to w^hat we are about, to avoid as much as is pofTible all wandring Thoughts in Prayer, to be duly affeded with 314 P^^ thine is the Kingdom ^ &:c. with every Claufe and Sentence of that Prayer which we either fpeak our felves, or which is fpoken by the Minifter in the Congregation in our Names, and to have fiich Thoughts and Defires in our Minds throughout the whole Office, as the Words we are then fpeaking feem to import we have. For unlefs we do thus attend to, and are thus affecSed by what we fay, our Service will be nothing elfe but Lip-Wor- fliip, and will be neither acceptable to God, nor profitable to our felves. For of all thole that draw near to God with their Mouths , and honour him with their Lips^ ^^ . while their Heart is removed far from 11. xxix ig. comp. /:?fw, we are told by the Prophet, that ^'"^^-^"- their WorjJjip of God is vain. But if, as every Claufe and Sentence of the Prayer is uttered, v/e go along with it in our Minds, and give luch a Confent cither of Approbation or Defire, as is pro- per to be given thereto, then the fingle Word, A^nen^ at the End of all, being utter'd with Fervency and true Devotion, will fully comprehend in it all the Stnk of the whole foregoing Prayer, and we fliaH Explained. 315 fliall pray over again in one devout Breath, as much as we prayed before in the whole Office. And fuch an effeBual fervent Prayer J (^ as St. James calls it ) wc may be fure will avail much with God. For thh (as St. John fays) h the confidence i M-v. that we have inJoi?n^ that if we ask any ' thing according to his Will he heareth us ; And if we know that he hear us what- foever we ask^ we know that we have the Petitions that we defired of him. And now having gone through every Part of the Lord's Prayer by its felf, ex- plaining the Meaning thereof, and de- claring the Duties that we are thereby inftruded in and oblig'd to, I fliall only obferve Two Things to you concerning the Fulnefs, Perfection, and Excellency of this Prayer, and fo conclude. And, I. From what has feeen faid it is eafy to obferve that the Lord's Prayer is a compleat Pattern of Prayer, there being in this fliort Prayer every Thing that can be reckon'd a Part of Prayer. For, Ci.)In 3 1 6 For thine is the Kingdom^ &:c. (i.) In Prayer we are to acknowledge and adore the Divine Excellencies and Per- feSions; and this we do here; FirJ}^ In the Preface to the Prayer, when invoking GodjWe ftile him our Heavenly Father, Oz/r Father which art in Heame7i^ and then in the Conclufion of it, when we acknow- ledge that his is the Kingdom^ the Power^ and the Glory for ever. (2.) In Prayer we are humbly to thank our Heavenly Father for all the Expref- fions of his Goodnefs to us ; Continue in Prayer J fays the Apoftle^ and watch in the fame with Thanksgiving. And this Part of Prayer, Thanksgiving., \^ included iikewife in the Preface, when we acknow- ledge that God is our Father., i. e, that he bears us a Fatherly AfFedion, and that we have experienced his Fatherly Kind- nefs to us ; and this fame is Iikewife again exercis'd and exprefs'd in the Firft Peti- tion, Hallowed be thy Name; that Phrafe being, ( as I have formerly noted ) like thofe commonly in Ufe among us, God be E X P L A I n'd. 3'7 he praifedj Blejfed he God^ and the like ; by which, though they are exprefs'd in the Form of a Wifli or Petition, yet what we mean is, adlually to give Thanks and Praife to God ; and fo it may be under- flood there, Hallowed he thy Name ; f . e. we do hallow thy Name, we praife and blefs thee for thy Goodnefs. (3.) In Prayer we are humbly to re^ qiiefi of God the good Things that we want ; this is the chief Subjed: of Prayer, this is what it has its Name from; for Prayer and Teutiojij are Words of the fame Signification ; and this is plainly the chief Subjed: of the Lord's Prayer ; the whole Body of it, all but the Preface and Conclufion, being in its primary Mean- ing, Petition to God for fuch Things as we have need of (and indeed for all Things that we have need of) both for our Souls and Bodies. But then, (4.) Laftly ; It is not fit that vile and polluted Sinners, as we all are, Ihould dare to approach the Prefence of God, or pi efume ; 8 For thine is the Kingdom, &:c. prefurrlt) to offer up any Requeft to him, without an humble Acknowledgment of our Vtlenefs and Unworthinefs -, It becomes not Sinners to ask any Thing of God without confefing thdr Faults, and for- rowfuUy owning that they are unworthy to receive the good Things that they ask'd: And this is ConfeJJion, which therefore ought to make a Part in all our Addrefles to God ; and fo it does here : For when we ask God Forgivenefs (as we are taught to do in the Fifth Petition, Forgive us our Trefpaffes^ as we forgive them that trefpafs again [I us^ fuch a Requeft contains, by plain Implication, an Acknowledgment that we are Sinners; for if we had no Sin, we fiiould need no Pardon, and if we did not think our felves Sinners, we lliould not think it needful to beg Pardon. From all which therefore it plainly ap- pears, that this is a moft compleat Form or Pattern of Prayer, that there is no- thing eflential to Prayer w anting in it. 2. What Explain D. 319 2. What may be further obferv'd and inferr'd from all the Difcourfes which I have made upon this Prayer, as to the admirable Excellency and Perfection of it ,• is, that it is fo fram'd and contrived, as to ferve both for an ExpreJJion of our Devotion towards God, and for an Inftru- Uion to our felves^ that at the fame Time, and by the fame Words, by which we are taught what to requefl of God, we are alfo inftrudted in our own Duty, and ftrongly excited to it ; upon which Account the frequent Ufe of it muft needs be of fingular Benefit and Ad- vantage to us. You may, I fuppofe, have heard it (aid, that no Perfon that is a Witch, can repeat the Words of the Lord's Prayer throughout ; that if fuch a Perfon be put to repeat it, there will be always fome- w^hat miftaken in the Repeating it, or fomewhat omitted. I will not warrant the Truth of this Saying or Obfervation, becaufe, as I have had no Experience of it, fo neither can I fee any Reafon for it. But 5 2 o For thine is the Kingdom^ &:c. But this I think I may fay with more Certainty of Truth, and with more Rea- fon; That no wicked Man whatfoever^ continuing in his Wickednefi, can fay this Prayer, nor indeed any one Sentence or Claufe of it, with good Attention and fervent Devotion ; and that every Good Man fo faying it, muft needs by natural Efficacy, as well as by the Divine Grace and Blefling be rendred better thereby. I. I fay, that a wicked Man, conti- nuing in his Wickednefs, can't fay this Prayer, nor indeed any one Sentence or Ckufe of it, with good Attention, and fervent Devotion; he can't have fuch inward Affedions of Mind towards God, as the Words of this Prayer do exprefs, nor an hearty Defire of thofe Things which he feems to requeft of God; be- caufe fuch devout Affedions and holy Defires are diredly contradictory to, and utterly inconfiftent with the Love and Pradice of Sin. For how can he prefumc fo much as to call upon God in Prayer, who in Works denies him ? Or how can he with Holy 2 Devo- Explain'^d. 321 Devotion call God his Father^ who has fold himfelf to the Devil to work Wick- ednefi, and continually exercifes him- lelf therein? For whofoever is born ^/i John v. God fmneth not ,• hut he that is begotten * * of God keepeth himfelf pure^ and that wicked one toiicheth him ?toty as the ^po-^ file fays. How can he fay to God, with true Devotion, Hallowed be thy Name^ who difhonours him in his whole Life ? How can he be thought ferioufly and heartily to defire that the Holy Name of God may be fandtified by all, who is himfelf by wicked Oaths, and horrid Blafphe- mies, continually prophaning and pollu- ting it? Again, How can he pray heartily that the Kingdom of God may come^ and be efta- blifli'd in the World, who will not give up himfelf to be rul'd and govern d by him ? Muft not his Heart give his Tongue the Lye, while he fays with his Mouth, Thy Kingdom come^ and yet knows him- felf to be in his Heart with thofe wicked ones fpoken of by Job-, who fay unto J^^ ^^'' Y God 02 a For thine is the Kingdom^ Sec. God depart from us^ for we deftre not the Knowledge of thy Ways : What is the Al- mighty that roe jlwuld ferve hm^ and what Profit jhoidd we have if we pray unto him ? Again ; we are taught In this Prayer to {ay. Thy Will he done in Earth as it is in Heaven \ But how can a Man fay this with true and fervent Devotion, who continually oppofcs and refifts the Divine Will, who will neither fubmit to the Pro- vidence of God, nor obey his Precepts ; who is ahonilnahle and difohedient^ and to every good Work reprobate ? Again,* Give us ( we are fiirther taught to fay) this Day our Daily Bread; Now in the Matter of this Petition, there is indeed nothing but what a very wicked Man may agree to ; for, He may defire as earneftly, nay, he does commonly de- fire more paflionately, the Things of this Life than the Good Man does: But then 2s to the Manner of defiring them, as to the craving them of God, he can no more utter this Petition with true Devo- tion than he can any of the former; becaufc Explained. 323 becaufe he knows that he does not de- pend upon God for them, nor expect them from his Bleffing, but only from his own Wit and Induftry ; for if he look'd for them from the Divine Bleffing, he would not feek them, as now he does, in fuch Ways as God has forbidden, i. e. by Fraud and Injuftice, Extortion and Oppreffion. And as little can he join, with true and hearty Devotion, in the Petition that follows,* Forgive us our TrefpaJJes; For though Pardon of Sins be what he greatly wants, and what, if he has any Senfe of Religion in him, he can't but fecretly wiih God would grant; yet we can't with true Devotion, and with fiich Afliirance of being heard as is requifite to render our Prayers availing , put up any Peti- tion to God, the Matter of which we our felves are fenfible is highly unreafonable. And what can be more unreafonable than this ? What can be more unfit for God to grant, or more prophane and prefuming in us to ask, than this is > viz,, That he would be nleas'd to grant Pardon to an Y z unre- 9^4 ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ Kingdom^ &c. unrepenting Sinner. For to ask this of God, is juft the fame as it would be to defire him to abrogate all his Holy and Righteous Laws, or to grant us a Licenfe to tranfgreft them. And as little can fiich an one fay, with a true Spirit of Devotion , and an hearty Concurrence of his own Defire, Lead us not into Temptation^ but deliver us from Evil ; for, as the Apoftle fays. Every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Luff^ and enticed: And this is what the wicked Man chufes to be ; he gives himfelf up to his own Hearts Lufts, and delights to follow his own wicked Imagi- nations ; fo that to pray againft Tempta- tions is to pray againft himfelf ; and he can't be (iippofed to join heartily in this Petition, without fuppofing what is plain- ly impoffible ; vvz. that a Man can at the fame Time love and hate , chufe and re- fufe, delight in and abhor the fame Things. And laftly, When fuch an one lays. For thine is the Kingdom^ the Tower j and the Glory ^ for ever ; feeming thereby to acknow-^ E X P L A I n"* D. 325 acknowledge the infinite and adorable Perfedions of the Divine Nature, and to intend to give him the Praife and Glory that is his due , How can it be fuppofed that his Heart fliould go along with liis Words, when at the fame Time that he fays thefe Words, it plainly appears by the v\ hole Courfe and Tenor of his wicked Life, that he neither owns the Sovereign Dominion of God, nor dreads his Power, nor (eeks his Glory ? Thus it appears that a wicked Man, continuing fuch, can't fay this Prayer, nor indeed any Claufe or Sentence of it, with good Attention and fervent Devoti- on ; that he can't have fuch inward Affe-' dions of Mind towards God as the Words of this Prayer do exprefs , nor an hearty Defire of thofe Things -which he feems to requefl of God : Or if he had, he would quickly be a better Man than he is : And this was what I further faid, viiz. 2. That every good Man, every Time he ufes this Prayer , with good Attention and fervent Devotion, mufts needs by na- tural 526 For thine is the Kingdom ^ &c. tural Efficacy, as well as by the Divine Grace and BlelTing, be rendred better thereby. For every Tin^e that he calls upon God as his Father, he is reminded of that filial Love and Duty which he owes to him. Every Time that he prays heartily that GoJ's I^afne may be hallowed j his own Mind mufl: needs l^e filled with an awful Reverence towards him. Every Time that he fays with a true Spirit of Devotion, Thy Kingdom come, he is admoniilied to feek fir ft the Kingdom of God and his Right eoiifiiefs. Every Time he fays, if he fpeaks the Words with Attention and Fervency, Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven ; he is taught his own Duty , viz. humbly to refign himfelf to God's Pleafure, and with all Readinefs and Chearfulnefs to fet himfelf to obey his Commands. Whenever he defires of God his daily Bread J he excrcifes an Adl of Truft in God's Providence, and is warn d not to ufe any fuch Means for the procuring the good Things of this Life, a^ he can't in I Reafon Explained. 3:27 I ' ' i»»^— i^— —— — — — ^ Reafon exped, or fo much as defire God's Blefling upon. When he begs of God Forgivenefs of his Sins ^ the Devotion wherewith the Words of this Petition fliould be accom- paniedj muft be grounded upon the Te- ftimony of his own Confcience that he is truly penitent, and that he does exercife fuch Mercy and Charity towards thofe that have offended him, as God has made the Condition of his own receiving Par- don. When he defires of God not to he led into Temptation^ if his Efefires are hearty, it can t be fuppofed that he fliould wilful- ly run himfelf into thofe Dangers which he earneftly prays he may avoid or be de- liver d from. And laftly, when he gives Glory to God, by a folemn Recognition and Ac- knowledgement of the Divine Excellen- cies and PerfecStions, faying. Thine is the Kingdom^ and the Power , and the Glory j for ever ; if he be at all affected by what he fays, it muft needs be, that every Time he devoutly repeats this Doxology , his Love 3^8 For thine is the Kingdom^ &c. Love to God muft be increafed, his Faith flrengthned, and his Obedience confirm'd. Such then being the Excellency of this Prayer, and fuch the Benefits and Advan- tages of our religioufly and devoutly ufing it ; what remains, but that we pray unto the fame Blefled JefiiSj who in Compaffi- on to our Infirmities has taught us how to pray, that he would be pleas'd to fend al(b his holy Spirit to help our Infirmities in Prayer ; that fo we may always fpeak thefe holy Words which he has taught us, with Attention and fervent Devotion, and thereby be made capable of his gracious Promife, who has faid, that whatsoever we ^ all ajk the Father in his Name he Toh.xiv. "^^^^^ do for its^ that the Father may begh- '5. rified in the Son, And to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoil, Three Perfons and One God , be given , as is moft due, all Honour, Glory, andPraife, now and for evermore. Amen. FINIS. P_^ f.^.g'^^^ r~.^;^^lC.; ^Catalogue of Books printed for Stephen Austen, at the Angel over againji the North T)oor of St. VdiuVs. 1727. H E Lord's Prayer explain'd and recom- mended, ill feveral pradical Difcourfes* By Offspring Blackall, D. D. late Lord Bifljop of Exeter ; neccfTary to be read in Families. Price 4 s. Chriiliaii Priefthood ; or, the Dignity of the Epifcopal Order, affcrted and defended. De- fign'd to obviate the erroneous Opinions, fallacious Reafoiiings, bold and falfe i\.flertions of all Free- thinkers ; in which, a Book, entituled, The Rights of the Chriilian Church, is more particularly taken No- tice of. Written by George Hickes, D. D. To which is added, an Appendix, in which is contain'd feveral cu- rious Papers, in two Vols. %vo. Price 10 s. A Collection of Controverfial Difcourfes, between Dr. George Hickes and a popidi Pried, occafion'd chiefly by a young. Lady, that was perfuaded to depart from the Church of England to that of Rome. To which is added the following Trads. I. Bp. Bull's An- fwer to the Bp. of Meaux's Queries, il. A Reply to the fame Queries, by Mr, Leflie. III. A Letter to an Eng- lifli Prieft at Rome, by Roberi: Nelfon, Efq. IV. Mr. H. Thorndike's Judgment of the Church of Rome. V. Mr. Chillingworth's Letter relating to the Infallibi- lity of the Church of Rome ; with feveral other curi- ous Papers in two Vols. ^vo. Price 8 s, A A» BOOKS Printed for S. Austen. An Eflay for a general Regulation of the Law, and the more eafy and fpeedy Advancement of Juftice ; in which the great Corruptions and Expences in Law Con- troverlles are exposM, and eftedual Methods propofed to redrefs fuch great national Grievances. By a Gent, of the Weft-riding of the County of York. Price 3 s. 6d. Introdudio ad Prudentiam : Or, Direftions, Coun- fels and Cautions, tending to prudent Management of Affairs in common Life. To which is added an Ap- pendix concerning Suicerity and Deceit. In two Parts. By Tho. Fuller, M.D. ii/no. Price 4 s. RefpublicaLiteraria ; Or, the Republick of Letters ; being a Vifion, wrote originally in Spanidi, by Don Diego de Saavedra, Knight of the Order of St. James. Tranflated by James Evans, A. B. iimo. Pr. 2 s. 6d. Pteryplegia ; or, the Art of Shooting-Flying. A Poem. By George Markland, A. B. and formerly Fel- low of St. John's College in Oxford. Price i s. Grazes Grammaticae Inftitutio compendiaria ; in ufum Scholarum. Autore Edv. Wettenhal, D. D. Nuper E- pifcopo Kilmor & Armagh. Ed. 5ta iir/io. Fifteen Sermons preached on feveral Occafions. By Edward Lake, D. D. Dedicated to her late Majefty Queen Anne. The Second Edition. Cui Additur Concio ad Clerum, habita juxta Collegium Sionenfe. Svo. Price 4 S. Morice Encordiurn : Or, the Praife of Folly. Written in Latin by Erafmus, tranflated into Englifh by White Kcnnet, Lord Bifliop of Peterborough. With a Preface by his Lordfiiip, adorned with a great Number of Cop- per Plates neatly engraven. To which is added the Ef- ligies of Erafmus and Sir Thomas More, from the De- iigns of the celebrated Hans Holbeine. iimo. Pr.'^s.6d. Dirt:6lions for the profitable reading of the Holy Scriptures, together with fomc Obfervations for the con- lirming their divine Authority, and illuftrating the Dif- ficulties thereof. By William Lowtb, B. D. and Pre- bendary of Wincheiter. The Third Edition, iimo. Price IS. 6 d, Adams'* BOOKS Printed for S. Austen: ^ A Dams's Sermons, pnbliflicd by Dr. Sachevere], 8w.. ■^^ Atterbury's Sermons , on feveral Occaiions, jiVol. %o. Atalantis, with a Key, by Mrs. Manly, 4 Vol. izmo. Ayliff's Paregon Juris Canonici Anglicani, FoL Abridgment of the Statutes, 6 Vols. ^vo. Art of pleaiing in Converfation, French and Englifh, iio, Addifpn's Works, .4 Vol. /^to. Abridgment of the Philofophical Tranfadions, 5 Vol. ^to> "DOYLE'S Philofophical Works, 3 Vols. /^to. "^ Brirannick Conilitution, FoL Bingham's Works, 'viz. Origines Ecclefiadic^e, &c. 2 Vols. Fulio. Bradley of Planting and Gardening, 8-1;^?. Biblia Sacra Latina Caftellionis, 4 Vols. 12^0. Bennet's Dire6lions for Studyiii'u^, 8w. Burnet's Sacred Theory of the Earth, 2 Vols. %vo. Boyer's French and Englifli Di6tionary. Beveredge's Theological Works, 2 Vols. Folio. Barry of Confumptions, 8w. Biihop's Sermons at Lady Mover's Le6lure, ^-00, Buinet's Sv-^rmons at Boyle's Ledlures, 2 Vol, %vo, /^Owper's Myotomia Reformata : Or, a new Admfni- ^^ flration and ufe of all the Mufcles of the human Bo- dy, Folio. Publiflied by Dr. Mead. Claggett's Sermons on feveral Occafions, 2 Vol. ^vo. Common-place Book to the Bible, 4^0. Cailandra, a Romance, 5 Vol. i zmu. Chandler's Defence of Chriftianity, %vo. Collyer's Sacred Interpreter, 2 Vol. %vo. Clarendon's Hidory of the Rebellion, 6 Vols, ^vq, Clarke on the Being and Attributes of God, ^vo. Coney's Devout Soul, '^vo. Camden's Britannia. By Dr. Gibfon, 2 Vols. Folia. Clergyman's Vade Mecum, 2 Vols. iimo. Compleat Geographer. By Herman Moll, Fuh Cowley's Works, 3 Vols. I2;?2(?, Collier's Sermons, %vo. Cambridge Concordance, Folio. Chillingworth's Works, Folio. Cambray's Dialogues of the Dead, iimo» Cheyne's Philofophical Principles. - v-r - - of the Gout and Fevers, ^V9. p - -'-" EfTay on Health and Long Life, ^vo. BOOKS Printed for S. i^usTEN. *F%Ugdalc's Antiquities of Warwick Oiire, Folio. ^ Doniat's Civil Law, 2 Vols. Folio. Dreliiicourt's Defence againft the Fears of Death, %vo. Derham's Phyfico & Aftro-Theology, %vo. Dryden's Plays, (5 Vols, izmo, Mifcellanies, 6 Vols. iimo. ^ _ Tranflatioii of Virgil and Juvenal, izmo» Ditton on the Rerarre6lion, ^vo. Didionnrium Rufticum, 2 Vols. ^vo. Drake's Anatomy with an Appendix, 3 Vols. %vo, Dalton's Country ]uftice. Folio. Duty of Man's Works, Folio. D'Urfey's Songs, Opera's, and comical Stories, ^vo, Didionary of all Religions, antient and modern, 8z'vo, of the Afihma, ^vo. Fuller's Pharmacoprpin Extemporanea, Englifli and Lat, - - - - Pharmacopoeia Domcriica, izkio. Fiddes's Life of Cardinal Wolfey, Folio. of Morality, 81x9. Farquhar's Poems and Comedies, 2 Vols, iimo^ Fenton's Mifcellany Poems, %vq. /^Ullivcr's Travels, 3 Vols. %vo, ^^ Gentleman's Recreation, %vo. ^ Folio, .- - in(lru£led, Svo. Goodman's Winter Evening Conference, Svo. Penitent pardoned, 8^;?. Gordon's Geographical Grammar, Svo. Gibfon's Farrier's Guide, Svo. - Farrier's Difpenflttory, 2z'o. QulUlm's Difplay of Heraldry, Folio. Hedc-i H' BOOKS Printed for S. Austen. 'Edcrici Lexicon Grasco-Latiiium, 4/0. Houghton's Colledions of Husbandry, 3 Vols, ^vo. Hooker's Experiments publifhcd by \V. Derham, F. R.S. Harris's Lexicon Technicum, 2 Vols. Folio. Horneck's Crucified Jefus, Svo. - Great Law of Gonfideration, Svo. , Bed Exercife, 81^^. Howell's Hiliory of the Bible, 3 Vols. Sl'o. Hiflory of England, 5 Vols. Folio. Hitton's Merchant's Magazine, ^io. Hick's Colledion of Devotions, izwo, Haywood's Novels, 4 Vols. iimo. Heifter's Compendium of Anatomy, Svo, Hooker's Eccleliaftical Polity, Svo. JEnkin's Life and Letters, 2 Vols. Folio. Johnfon's (Ben.) Plays and Poems, 6 Vols. Svo, Jenkins of the Chriilian Religion, 2 Vols. ^m. Journey over England and Scotland, 3 Vols. Svo. Illuftrious French Lovers, z Vols. iimo. Innes's Sermons, Svo. Liquiry into the Original of Beauty and Virtue, 81/0. Jiifiin in ufiim Delphini, 2vo. in Englidi. By T. Brown, iimo, Johnfon's unbloody Sacrifice, 2 Vols. f^vo. Ecclefiaftical Canons, 2 Vols. Svo, KEanet's Roman Anti^xiuJeG, Sz-c King of the Apoftles Creed, Svo. " Conftitution's of the primitive Church, Svo. Kettlewell's Theological Vv'orks, 2 Vols. Folio. of the Sacrament, ^vo. Keay'sPradical Mc:,liirer ; Or, Pocket Companion, Svo, Keili's Anatomy, i%mo. Agronomical Le3:arcs, ^vo. Introdudion to Natural Philofophy, Svo. T Angly's PraSical Geometry, Folio. •'--' Locke's Works, W5;. an Eilliy on Human Undcr- ftanding, z^c. 3 Vols. Folio. Lamb's Royal Cookery, Szo. Lewis's Origines Hebrcese, 4 Vols. 2vo. Letters felecled out of Mill's Journal, 4 Vol. iz:-no. L'Eftrangc's ^Efop with moral Reflections, 2 Vols. Svo, J.Jfe and Adventures of Seignior Rofelli, a Vols. Svo. i/cme- BOOKS Printed for S. AuSTENi Lemery's Chymiftry, 8w. Lanfdown's Poems, iimo. Lady s Library, 5 Vols. iimo. Leybourn's Surveying, FoUo. Life of Mary Queen of Scots, 8w. MOrton of Confumptions, ^vo. Mifcellanea Curiofa, 5 Vols. 8m Mott of Mechanical Powers, %vo, Mono's Anatomy of the Bones, iimo' Milton's Paradilc loft and regained, 2 Vols. ix^vo. -^^ Nichols on the Common Prayer, FoUo.^ -_ Conference, 2 Vols. Nelfon on the Feafls and Falls, 8w. Prn6tice of true Devotion, i imo. Nalfon Sennons, %vo. New Manual of Devotions, in three Parts, i zmo^ Newton's Opticks, ?>vo. ^ — Principia Mathematica, ^to, Nelfon's Juftice, %vo, Lex Teftamentaria, ^vo.. I^Iorrib's Mifcellanies, izyno. /^Vidii Metamorphofes, in ufum Delphiui, Bz>£?,- ^^ Ovid's Art of Love, i%mo, Epiftles, 1 imo. Metamorphofcs, iimo. Osborn's Advice to his Son, &c. 2 Vols, iimo, Oldham's Works, iVo\'>>^ izmo. Otway's Comedies and Tragedies, 2 Vols, i^'m^ pEck's Annals of Stanford, Folio, ^ Political Hiftory of the Devil, 8w, Prideaux's Connexion of the Old and New Tcftament, Pope's BOOKS Printed for S. Austen. Pope's Tranflation of Homer's Iliads, vo. Prior's Mifcellany Poems, 2 Vols. iimo. Patrick's Devout Chriftian, i imo. Chridian Sacrifice, iimo, Pomet's Hiftory of Drugs, /^to. Pearfon on the Creed, Folio. Pitcairne's Elements of Phyfick, ^vo. Palladio's Architedure, ^to. QUincy's Pharmacopoeia Officmalis, ^vo. , Lexicon Medicum, ^vo. Tranflation of Pharmacopeia Londinenfis. Tranflation of Sandorius, %vo. Quarles's Divine Fancies and Emblems, iimo, "D Umworth'sHIftoricalCoIleaions, 8 Vols. Folio, •*-^ Robinfon of the Stone and Gravel, '^vo, Ray's Wifdom of God in the Creation, Sra. Robinfon of Confumptions. Rapin's Hillory of England, ?>m. Religious Philofopher, 2 Vols. /i^to. Religion of Nature delineated, wich an Index, a^io. Rowe's Tranflition of Lucan's Pharf^.lia, 2 Vols, iir/jo. Revolutions of Rome, Sweden, and Portugal, %vo. Rapin's Critical Works, 2 Vols. %vo. Rofcommon's and Duke's Poems, %z'o. Richard fon's Effay on Painting, 2 Vols. 81;^?. CTrother's Materia Medica, 2 Vols. ^vo. Stone's Mathematical Diciionary, ^vu. Spelman's Englidi Works, Folio, Steven's Spanifli Didionary, ^to. Smal ridge's 60 Sermons, Folio, Syftem of Magick, 2vo. Shaw's Pradice of Phyfick, 2 Vols. 2vo. Sherlock on Death, Providence, Judgment, and Future State, %z'o. Stanhope's Chiiflian Pattern, %z'o. St. Auftiu'sMedit^troiis, ^vo. Spectators, BOOKS Printed for S. AusTEN. Spe6^ators, 8 Vols, izr^o. Swift's Mifcel lames, Profe and Verfe, ^vo, Soiuh's Sermons, 6 Vols; %vo. Salndius in ufum Delphini, %vo. ShadwcU's Plays, 4 Vols. iimo. Spincke's Sick Man vifited, 81;'?. Spencer's Fairy Qneen, &c. 6 Vols iimo, Stillingfleet's Origincs Sacr^, Folio, Tillotfon's Sermons, &c. 3 Vols. ToUo. Turner's new Art of Surgery, 2 Vols. %vo. ^ "--of Cutaneous Diftempers, %vo. ^ of the Venereal Difeafe, 8w. Temple's Letters and Mifcellanies, 2 Vols. Folio, Tatlers, 4 Vols. iimo. Taylor's Holy Living and Dying, '^vo^ Terentius in uRnn Delphini, %vo, Trj^il of the Regicides, 8w. Trap's Pr2eIe61:iones Poetics, Zvo, Terms of Lav/, 2vo. Tale of a Tub, with Cuts, and a Key, izmo. TJ'Ineyard, or Dire6lions for Planting and Gardening, 8<79 ' Univerfal Library, 2 Vols, ^vo, Virgilius in ufum Delphini, %vo. Vanbrugh's Plays, 2 Vols. iimo. Vaughion*s Chirurgical Operations, %vo, Varenii Geographia, per Jnrin, '6vo, WHitby of the New Teftament, 2 Vols. FuUo, Wagftaff's Mifccllaneous Works, %-uo. Wall of Infant Baptifm, 2 Vols, ^vo, his Defence of it, 8z'o. Wifeman's Surgery, 2 Vols. %vo. Waterland's SeiiPtOns at Lady Moyer's Le6lure, ^vo, Wilkins of Natural Religion, %vo, "WqWs of the Old and New Teftament. Word of God, the bcft Guide, iimo. Whiilon's Theory of the Earth, %vo. Woodward's Natural Hirtory of the Earth, %vOi Wychcrlcy's Plays, 2 Vols. M^ith great Variety of Flay s^ Novels^ kc. A \^>.Na WMWPH