Acts i. 14. ii. 1, 46, 1 Cor.xi.20. 15.2. Do you think it to be a Matter of ne ceflary Duty, to Pray Publickly with the Church? A. In General it certainly is; efpecially upon the Lord's Day, and fuch Other Solemn Times iii. 1. xx. 7. of Prayer, as both the Laws of the Realm, and the Canons of the Church, require of Us. As &c. for the daily Prayers, if we live in a Place where Heb.xii. 25. they are publickly Read, and are not hinder'd by any neceffary Bufinefs to come to Them, I do not fee how we can excufe ourselves from ufually joining in Them. xiv. 16, 19, 16. 2. Has our Saviour left Us any particu lar Direction how we fhould Pray?" A. He has left Us a Form of his Own Compofing, not only to be continually made Ufe of by Us; but also to be a Pattern to Us, after what manner we ought to put up our Own Addreffes to God. 17. 2. In what does that Form chiefly direct Us to compofe our Own Prayers aright? A. It teaches us especially thefe Four Things Firft, That we fhould make our Prayers fhort, and pertinent; as being moft fuitable both to the Wisdom and Majefty of God; and to our Own Weakness, and Infirmities. Secondly, That we fhould Pray for Others, as well as for Ourselves; and that in our Private, as well as our Publick Prayers. Thirdly, That we may pray for the Neceffaries of this Life; though our main Concern fhould be, in our Prayers, as well as our Endeavours, after Thofe of the Other.. Fourthly, That we fhould Pray to God ONLY, and to Him as our Father, through Faith in Christ Jefus, Gal. iii. 26. 18. 2. Have you any thing elfe to Obferve from the Form of this Prayer? A. This only, that to Pray to God by a Setform, is fo far from being a Thing either in itsfelf Unlawful, or Injurious to the Holy Spirit that that we fee vour Saviour himfelf has here given Num. vi. 24. x. 35, 36. Us an Example for it: As under the Law, Comp. God was pleafed in feveral Cafes to direct the Num. v. 21, very Words in which he would be addrefs'd 22. tosby the Jews. 1.2.CAY the Lord's Prayer? A. Dur Father, which art in Hea ben; Hallowed be thy Name. Chy kingdom come. Thy Will be done in earth, Is it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trefpaffes, As we forgive them that Trelpals against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for Ever and Ever. Amen. 2.2. What are the General Parts of this Prayer? A. It is divided into Three General Parts: * A Preface, or Introduction; * The Petitions; and a Doxology, or Conclufion. 3. 2. What is the Preface to this Prayer? A. Dur Father which art in Heaven. 4.2. Wherefore did our Saviour begin his Prayer with this Compellation of God, Our. Father? Deut. xxvi. 3, 5, 13. A. As for the other Reafons hereafter mentioned, fo efpecially to put us in mind, that all our Hope of being heard, or accepted by God, is by virtue of that Relation wherein we stand to him, in, and through his Son Jefus Chrift. John i. 12. John xiv. 6. No Man cometh unto the Father, Rom. viii. but by Me John xv. -16, xvi. 23, 24. Verily, 15, 16. Verily, I fay unto you; whatsoever ye shall ask Gal.iii. 26. iv.: 5, 6, 75 the 39. the Father in my Name, he will give it you 5. 2. Why was that Circumftance added, Which art in Heaven? A. To fhew the Difference between Him, and our Earthly Parents; who fometimes are hard towards their Children, and will not give them what they ask; Oftentimes are not able to fupply their Needs: And, in many Cafes, cannot tell what is beft for them; but either deny them, when they ought to have given them what they defired; or Give them, when it would have been Kings viii. more adviseable not to have done it. Whereas our Heavenly Father is All-Merciful, All-PowerPfal. cxv. 3. ful, and All-Wife; and by confequence, liable to none of thefe Defects. cxxiii. I. Luke xi. 13. Pfal. ciii. 13. 41. Ecclef. v. 2, 6. 2. What do you learn from this Introduction? A. To come to God with great Afsurance, Lam. iii. 40, but with great Reverence too: Who as Our Father will not fail to hear his Children, if they Mat. vii. 9, ask, as they ought of him; As he is Our Hea venly Father, can give us whatsoever we ftand in Need of. 1 John v. 14, 15: 10, 11. Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. 39. 7. 2. Is God fo in Heaven, as our Earthly Fathers are upon Earth? A. No, by no means: For God being In finite, is every where prefent; neither shut out 1 Kings viii. of any Place, nor Circumfcribed by any. a But 23, 27, 38, becaufe God is pleafed to fhew himself in Hea Ifa. xl. 22. ven, in the higheft Excellencies of his Divine Pfal. cxxxix. Majefty, and Glory: and is there attended by his Holy Angels; therefore Heaven is confider'd as his Court, and his Throne. And we very pro1a.vi.perly direct our Prayers to God there, where our Mat. v. 16, Saviour fits to Intercede with Him for Us; and 45. xi. 50. where the Bleffed Spirits attend upon him, and Aûs vii. 49. fall down before him, and worship him. 7, &c. a Pfal. xi. 4. exxii. I. 8. 2. Wherefore are we taught to say, OUR Father? A. Not as if God were not the Father of Every One of Us in Particular, as well as of Us All in General; or that we might not Each of Us truly and properly fay, My Father: But to enlarge our Affections; to correct our Pride; and increase our Charity; and to teach us that there is no Man fo mean, but what has as good a Right to call God his Father, as the Greatest among Us; nor any, therefore, who ought not to be look'd upon as a Brother by Us, and to be treated, and loved, and pray'd for by Us, accordingly. 1.2 Of the first Petition, Hallowed be thy How Prayer? A. Six: Three with refpect to the Honour, and Glory of God; which may be accounted pious Wifbes, rather than formal Petitions: And Three with Relation to our Own Needs. 2. 2. What is the First of These? A. Hillowed be thy Name. 3. 2. Wherefore did Chrift begin his Prayer, with this Petition, or Defire? Ifa. vi. 3. 14. To fhew us that we ought to make God's Pfal. viii. 1. Glory the First Thing in our Prayers, as well as cxlviii. 13. the Chief End of all our Actions, 1 Cor. x. 31. xii. 4. Whether ye Eat, or Drink, or whatsoever ye Do, do all to the Glory of God. I 4.2. What is here meant by the Name of 1 Kin. v. 5. God? A. The fame as in the Third Commandment: viz. God Himself; and whatsoever does in any wife Relate to Him, Exod. vi. 3, xxxiv. 5, 6. Pfal. cxxxviii. 2. Pfal. xx. I. xliv. 20. lxxx. 13. Chron. xxii. 8. 1 Jo. v. 13 Exod. xx.11. xxix. 1. Lev.x. 3. §. 2. What is meant by Hallowing? 1 Kin. ix. 3. a Holy Ufe; and the Treating, and Respecting, of it accordingly. Ifa, viii. 13. Pfal. lxxii. 17. cxiii. 2, 3. Acts xiii. 48. 6. 2. What then do you look upon to be the full Import of this Petition? A. That it would pleafe God to make him self Known to, and to be Adored, and Glorified Ixxxvi. 9,12. by, the whole World. That he would fo difpofe Mat. v. 16. Ours, and all Other Mens Hearts, that we may John xv. 8. never mention his Name, but with a Religious Reverence. That whatfoever has any Relation Rom. xv. 6. to him, his Word, his Sacraments, his Minifters his Houfes of Prayer, may all be treated by Us with a Regard fuitable to the Majefty of Him; 2 Theff. i. 10, to whom they belong: And that neither we Ourfelves, nor any Others, may ever entertain any Opinions, or commit any Sins whereby either God the Father, or his Son Jefus; the Glory of the One, or the Gospel of the Other, may be vi lified, or profaned. I Cor.vi. 20. x. 31. 12. 1 Pet. iii. 15. jv. II. Of the Second Thy King dom come. SE CT. XXXVI. 1.2. WHAT is the Second Petition of this Prayer? A. The kingdom come. 2. 2. In how many Refpects is God a a Pfal. xcv. King? 3, 4, 5. xcvii. 1. ciii. A. Chiefly in thefe Three: Firft, With 19. refpect to All the World; which he Created by cxlv. 11, 13. his Power; and Rules, and Governs, as well as b Mat. xxi. Supports, by his Providence. Secondly, b With 43.xxiv. 14. Relation to his Church and People; which he Mark. i. 15. Luke iv. 43. Governs, and Conducts, by his Word, and Hely Heb. i. 8. Spirit. And Thirdly, With Refpect to his Mat. v. 1o, Heavenly Kingdom, where he Reigns with Gloxxv. 34, 46. Ty, and Majefty, over his Angels Now; and 26. xiii. 43. C |