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42, 43.
I Cor. vi. 9.

will Rule over all his Saints hereafter, to all Luke xxiii.” Eternity.or 3.2. How is it that we here, either Wish, or xv. 24, 50. Pray, that God's Kingdom may come?

C

2 Pet. i. 11. a Ifai. xlii.

6, 7.

18.

33, 34.

A. As we defire; a Firft, that all Men may both more clearly Know, and more worthily Obey, Luke i. 79. the true and only God; the Lord of Heaven, Acts xxvi. and Earth.b Secondly, That, to this End, it 18. would please God to enlarge the Borders of his Eph. i. 17, Church, and bring all Nations within the Pale co Col. i. 13. of it. And that where it is already establish'd ; b Pfal. ii. 8. he would Go on, more and more, by his Grace, Micah iv.8. to deftroy the Power of Sin, and the Dominion Jer. xxxi. of Satan, and to implant the Fear and Love of Mat, xxviii. his Name, in the Hearts of all his Servants. 19, 20. That fo, Thirdly, His Eternal Kingdom may also be enlarged; the Fulness of his Saints be accomplish'd; and the bleffed Time come, when ii, 12, 13. we fhall all be tranflated into his Heavenly Kingdom ; and all other Powers and Dominions, being done away, God alone fhall be Exalt ed, and Rule over his Saints, for Ever and Ever.

Rev. xi, 15.

xii. 10.
d Tit. i. 24

SECT. XXXVII.

Of the Third
Petition,
Thy Will be

1.2. WHAT is the Third Petition of this done, &c.

Prayer?

A. Eby Will be bone in Earth, as it is in Heaven.

2. Q: How does God declare his Will to Us? A. Chiefly Two Ways; By the Difpenfations of his Providence, and by the Rules which he has fet us to Live by; whether they be by Nature implanted in Us, or be Revealed to Us in the Gofpel of Chrift.:

3. 2. Does this Petition refpect both these?

10.

42.

14%

Job i. 21. ii. A. It does; and fo teaches us to Pray, that Mat. xxvi. (with Refpect to the former of Them) we may always feriously confider the Ways of his ProActs xxi. 13, vidence, and difcern what it is that He would have Us either Do, or Suffer, in Obedience thereunto. That whatsoever it be, that he fhall thereby call us to, whether to a Profperous, or Unprofperous State, to Receive Good from him, or to Suffer Evil; we may, in the One, improve his Bleffings to the Glory of his Name, and the Benefit of those about Us; in the other may patiently fubmit to whatsoever he fhall call us to a Pfal. xl. 8. Suffer for his Sake. With Relation to the a Latter (the Rules which God has given Us to walk by} We are hereby taught to Pray, that we may faithfully Obey all his Commandments, how contrary foever they may chance to be, to our Own corrupt Defires, and Affections; and continue his Obedient and Constant Servants, all the Days of our Life.

exliii. 10.

Mat. vii. 21.
Jo. iv. 34.
vi. 38.
Acts ix. 6.
Rom. xii. 2.
Eph. vi. 6.

1 Pet. ii. 15.

Jo. ii. 17.

3. Q. Why is this Circumftance added, As it is in Heaven?

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A. To fhew us what kind of Obedience we ought to pay to God's Will. That as the Angels in Heaven not only Do the Will of God, but do it with all Readinefs, Chearfulness, Conftan-, cy, and Delight; fo may We, in like manner, if it fhall Please God, in fome measure fulfil it too, Pfal. ciii. 20, 21.

4.2. Is it poffible for us, ever to attain to fuch a Perfection of Obedience, in this present Life?

A. It is hardly to be Expected; yet we must Pray for it, and endeavour to Come up as near as is poffible to it: And in the mean time, muft Learn from hence not only how we ought to Serve God now, but how we shall hereafter do his Will; when we come to the bleffed State, as well as Place of thofe Holy Spirits in Heaven.

SECT.

SECT. XXXVIII.

1.2. WHAT

Needs?

Of the fourth
Petition,
Give us this

HAT is the First of thofe Petitions, Day, &c. which you faid Related to our Own

A. Give us this Day our daily Bread. 2. 2. What do you Obferve from the general Composure of this Part of the prefent Prayer?

A. That as Man confifts of Two different Parts, A Soul, and Body; and has need of several Things to be given him for the Good of Both; So we are here directed to beg of God; Firft, What is neceffary to our Prefent Life: And Secondly, What may conduce to the Everlasting Happiness of our Souls, in the Life that is to Come.

3. 2. How does our Saviour express what is neceffary to be ask'd by Us, for the Suftenance of our prefent Life?

A. He calls it Our Daily Bread.

4. 2. What does the Word Bread denote? A. It is Commonly used in Scripture for all Gen. iii. 19. xviii. 5, 6,7. fort of Provifion, as it is indeed the chiefeft and xliii. 31, 32. moft neceffary; and fuch as may fupply the De- 1 Kin. xxi.7. fect of all other. And it is here made Ufe of to Pfal. xxxvii. fignify all that is Necessary for our Support; not 25. xli. 9. only Meat: a but Drink, Raiment, Lodging, 2 Cor. ix. 10, and the like: Excluding at the fame time what- 2 Theff. iii. foever is Superfluous, and defired rather to Gra- 8, 12. tify our Lufts, than to Preferve our Life.

5.2. What is meant by Our Bread?

Mar. iii. 20.

■ Gen. xxviii.

20.

Ifai. iii. 1.

A. It may imply thefe Two things: Either, 1 Tim, iv. 8. Firft, What is neceffary for Us; that is to fay, Prov. xxx.8. for Ourfelves, and for thofe who depend upon 1Tim, vi. 8. Us. Or elfe, Secondly, It may be called Our Bread, upon the Account of the Propriety We have in it: As being either the Product of our

Eftates,

Eftates, Or the Effect of our own Labour, or others Charity; not the Bread of Fraud, or Oppreffion; Of Stealth, or Covetousness: That fo we may live upon what is truly Car Own, and not devour Our Neighbour's Bread.

6. 2. What do you Understand by the Word Daily

A. What is fufficient for the Next Day: But then we add withal, this Day, or Day by Day; to fhew, that though (because fuch is the Uncertainty of Our prefent Life, that how Many, or how Few Days, we may have to come, we cannot tell, therefore) we ask no more of God than what is needful for our prefent Support: Mat. vi. 25, Yet we truft, that God, of his Goodness, will Every Day Give Us Our Bread, as he did the Jews their Manna in the Wilderness, Exod. xvi. 4. 5. fo long as he fhall think fit to continue Us in this State of our Pilgrimage; until he fhall bring Us to our Heavenly Canaan, that Good Country which he has provided for Üs.

&c.

Heb. xiii. 5. 1Pet. v. 7.

Gen. iii. 19.

Acts xx. 34.

10, 12.

7. 2. Wherefore do we Pray to God for fuch a Support?

A. Not to exclude our Own reasonable Care in providing for it, much lefs to excuse our laCor.iv. 12. bouring after it; but to fhew, that we depend altogether upon the Providence of God, and Owe our Lives, and all the Support of them, not to our Deut. viii. 3. Own Cunning, or Induftry, but to his Bleffing: Comp. Mat. And to engage us thereby both to Rely the more confidently upon God, and to make thofe fuitable Returns of Love, and Praife, Pet. v. 7. and Gratitude, that We ought to do, to

iv. 4. Acts xvii.

25, 28.

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8. 2. Are the Rich as much concern'd thus to Pray to God, as the Poor?

A. They are altogether: Our Saviour compofed this Prayer for Both alike. It is the fame Providence of God which maintains Both; and

gives an Abundance to the One, as well as a Competency to the Other.

9.2. Is it Unlawful for any Man to take care f, or provide for any thing more than the next Day?

12, 14.

A. No, by no means; God himfelf has fent Us to the Ant to learn the contrary; Prov. vi. 8. Who provideth her Meat in the Summer, and ga- A&ts xi. 28, thereth her Food in the Harvest. Such a Care 29, 30% as goes no farther than a prudent Forefight, and Cor. xvi. 1 neither prompts us to any Evil, nor keeps us back 2 Cor. viii. from any Good, is certainly not only Innocent but Commendable. Without this, the World could not fubfift Otherwife than by a continual Miracle; which we ought not to expect, where Ordinary Methods are to be had. The Solici- Mat. vi. 25, tude which our Saviour forbids, and which is in- &c. deed finful, is that which proceeds from an Immoderate Concern for the future: When Men are uneafy, and difcontented; diftruftful of God's Providence, and ftill hoarding more up, as if they could never have enough; but were to truft rather to their own Care, and Forefight, than to God's Bleffing.

SECT. XXXIX.

Of the Fifth
Petition,

And forgive

2WHAT are the Bleffings which we are taught, in this Prayer, to ask Us our Tref

of God for our Souls?

4. The Forgiveness of Sins paft; and the Pre

vention of them for the time to Come.

2.2 How do you pray to God for the Forgiveness of your paft Sins?

A. In thefe Words; and forgive us out Erefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpals against us.

paffes, as we

forgive them

that trefpafs against us.

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