Goodness and all Perfection unto him than possibly I can discover by any of these Manifestations considering that all his Works put together cannot speak his Fulness If I could see all the Glory of God that all the Works of God in the whole World do bear upon them yet I must needs conclude in reason that they are infinitely short of that Perfection which he hath in him for he must needs have a residue of Power and Wisdom infinitely more than commensurate to all his Works put together but alas I see but a part of his Works and so narrow is my capacity that I find plainly I cannot reach to the bottom of any Work nor search it out nor his Power Wisdom and Glory that lyes in a fly or worm to the uttermost and yet I see so much as doth astonish me and confound me even in the least of all his Workings what measure then must his own Fulness amount unto and this made David and the other Saints of God whose Eyes he had opened even to lose themselves in the Contemplations and Expressions of the Goodness and Greatness of God 5. Areturn of infinite Fear and Reverence Love Dependance Submission and Obedience and of all the choicest and sweetest motions of our Souls to him as the just desert of his Goodness and Truth and the just Tribute due to his Majesty and Glory And this is the Sanctifying of the Lord of Hosts Isa 8.17 And thus he will be sanctified by all them that draw near unto him Levit. 10.3 The Sanctifying of the Lord in the heart 1 Pet. 3.15 4. And as these affections and motions are made in the heart so by all External Expressions of the tongue to evidence that inward conviction and affection of the Soul and as much as in us lyes to propagate and proclaim to all the World the Glory due to God by acknowledging openly his Truth 1 Kings 18.39 When the people saw the miracle of the fire devouring the water they fell on their faces and said The Lord he is God the Lord he is God By ascribing Greatness Deut. 32. Strength Psalm 68.34 Glory Psal 96.8 unto his Name by publishing his Name Deut. 32.3 Singing forth his Honour Psalm 66.2 Exalting his Name Psalm 34.3 causing it to be had in remembrance Psalm 45.27 Magnifying his works Job 36.24 by inviting and exciting all the Creatures in the World according to their uttermost activity to praise his Name Psal 148.5 Out of the abundance of the Heart thus possessed with the sense of the Perfection of God the mouth will speak 5. That from the same Principle in the heart the lives of Men and Angels may bring Glory and Honour to God that is by Conformity of their Natures and lives to the will of God concerning them Other Creatures by a passive Conformity unto the Will of God bring Glory unto him viz. by moving as they are moved by those natural Instincts that are put in them but to Men and Angels God hath given that Honour to have in them an active Principle not only to be conformed but to conform to the Will of God and to bring Glory to his Name and when by our sin and contracted Corruption Mankind hath disabled himself to exercise that power which God once gave him to glorifie his Creator Christ came to restore him again to such a condition that he might actively bring Glory to God by an active Conformity to the Mind and Will of God 2 Cor. 5.15 For this Cause he died that they which live should not live to themselves but unto him that died for them Tit. 2.14 ad idem And this was a principal part of that Reconciliation that he wrought viz. as for the things that were past reconciling God to Man by Forgiveness and Pardon so for the time to come reconciling Man to God by Conformity to Him and his Will Sin made an unlikeness of Man to God and thereby destroyed the Image of God in Man for an Image consists in the likeness of another thing Christ came to restore that Image again Colos 3.10 And that not to rest meerly in the internal Dispositions of the Soul but that as he that hath called us is holy we should be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.13 Which is impossible to be severed so that the former should be without the Latter for as out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaks so out of the same abundance the hand worketh and the sanctification of the Mind can as ill be contained within the Heart without some Expression in the Life as any other temper or disposition of the Mind can be restrained from discovering it self That Communion that Moses had with God in the Mount imprinted a Glory on his Face and that Image of God the conformity of the Heart unto him will shine through into the Life and that out of a double Principle 1. As a connatural Consequence of the inward disposition 2. Out of the Love and Obedience to God Matth. 5.16 That men may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven So that when I pray that the Name of God may be Sanctified I do desire that God would in Christ re-imprint his Image upon Man that he would renew him in the Spirit of his Mind and restore him to a Conformity unto his Divine Will which is our Sanctification 1 Thes 4.3 And that the outward Conversation of Men may be sutable to this inward Conformity in all Obedience to the good pleasure of God that as they profess his Name so they may appear to be his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Ephes 2.10 And walk worthy of God 1 Thes 2.12 That others beholding their good works may glorifie God 1 Pet. 2.12 Now the Opposites to this Petition is Blasphemy and Cursing the Name of God for to that heighth of vill any the corruption of Nature hath risen That that fearful and terrible Name Psal 99.3 Deut. 28.58 hath not escaped the blasphemous Tongues of Men despising his Majesty Job 21.15 What is the Almighty that we should serve him Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice Taking his Name in vain using of it lightly or irreverently It is a terrible Name and not to be used without summoning up of all the awe and reverence of our hearts or falsly either in solemn oaths swearing falsly by his Name or pretending messages from him that he never sent Jer. 14.14 Prophesying Lyes in his Name whereby a dishonour is brought upon his Truth Pride Arrogancie and Self-admiration these intercept the Glory due unto God and usurp that which is only due unto him and most dear to him Isa 48.11 My Glory will not I give to another Therefore God doth in a special manner hate Pro. 6.17 Pro. 9.13 and resist it and them Jam. 4.6 when Herod intercepted the Glory of the People and entertained it and gave not God the Glory the
love and compassion as hath been observed but though he be thy Father yet he is an Earthly Father and as his Power and Sufficiencies are narrow and weak and not adequate to the Extent of thy wants and desires so his Affections are limited and mingled with the passions and frowardness of his Temper or Age. A Woman may forget the Son of her Womb Isa 49.15 And the hands of the pitiful Woman may seeth her own Children Lam. 4.10 And Fathers are apt to provoke their own Children Ephes 6.4 But were there not mixtures of Distempers in the affections of Parents yet their affections are finite such is our condition that in one day we should out-sin all that stock of Patience to bear and mercy to forgive that the most tender earthly Father ever had or could be capable of We stand in need every day of the infinite bowels of a Heavenly Father to bear and pardon and receive us as of infinite Power to supply and support us Isay 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and be will have Mercy and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for my thoughts are not your thoughts nor your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my wayes higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts Hos 13.9 Oh Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not Man Hos 11.9 As if he should have said Were all the Compassions and Bowels and Patience and Tenderness in the World combined in one Man yet thy Sins are grown to that height and thy provocation to that perfection that all that Patience were too weak to bear and all that compassion too small to pardon thee thou hast out-sinned all the Compass and extent of a created Patience but I am God and not Man I have Patience enough for all this to bear with thee and Mercy enough abundantly to Pardon thee Jer. 3.12 Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God The Omnipotence of God runneth through all his Attributes and is no less seen in his Mercy to pardon than in his Power to create Numb 14.17 18. And now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying the Lord is long-suffering and of great Mercy Now I come to the Requests themselves 1 Hallowed be thy Name Wherein shall be considered 1. What we are to understand by the Name of God 2. What we are to understand by Hallowing or Sanctifying his Name As to the First The Wayes of God and his Judgments are unsearchable and past finding out Rom. 11.33 and if his ways are such how infinitely unsearchable is his Essence and Nature the Angels that are by God endued with an understanding more receptive of this light than ours is do behold his face Matt. 18.10 V. Isa 6.2 But yet that light is too bright for their pure Eyes and too wide for those perfect Intelligences to comprehend but mortal Man cannot behold his Face Exod. 33.20 Thou canst not see my face for no man can see me and live But yet such is his Mercy and Condescention to his creature that he communicates so much of the knowledge of himself unto us as is convenient for us and sufficient to bring us to a more perfect Vision of him when our Souls shall be endued with an Angelical capacity to see him Matt. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God And the means whereby we know him is the Manifestation of his Name unto us John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest me The Name of the Lord therefore imports these two things 1. That which he hath been pleased to manifest unto us in his Word concerning himself his Essence and Attributes 2. That Glory and Honour which as a beam from the Sun doth arise from that manifestation 1. Touching the First God hath been pleased to reveal himself unto us by Names or Expressions whereby we may have some conceptions concerning him and though every attribute given to God in the Scripture is a part of his Name yet he hath chosen some expression which he hath in a special manner called his Name as being of a more special use to us and therefore are to have a greater impression upon us sometime to signifie his Absolute and Independent being Exodus 3.13 And Moses said unto God when I come to the Children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your Fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say to me what is his Name what shall I say unto them And God said to Moses I AM THAT I AM. Thus shalt thou say unto them I AM hath sent me Sometimes to signifie the greatness of his Authority Esa 42.8 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another Sometimes to signifie his Power Jer. 10.16 The Lord of Hosts is his Name Sometimes to signifie the Immensity of his Majesty Exod. 6.3 I appeared unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty but by my Name Jehovah was I not known unto them Psal 83.18 Thou whose Name is Jehovah Deut. 28.58 That thou maiest fear this Glorious and Fearful Name the Lord thy God Sometimes to signifie his Purity Exod. 34.14 whose name is Jealous Psal 93.3 whose Name is Holy But above all when God himself was pleased at the requests of his Creature to make his Goodness to pass before him and to proclaim his Name consisting of all the ingredients necessary for our knowledge and use Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God Merciful and Gracious Long-suffering and Abundant in Goodness and Truth Keeping mercy for thousands Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty c. And this was the Name that our Saviour came to comment upon shewing his Mercy in pardoning us and his Justice in punishing our Sins in his Son his Truth in fulfilling that first Gospel preached in Paradise The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head And this Name of God he manifested to his Disciples and to us 2. The Name of the Lord is taken for that Glory and Honour that is due unto his Essence Attributes and Works the reflection of his own Perfection He hath proclaimed himself Merciful and Gracious and his works of Mercy reflect Glory upon this part of his Name Isa 48.9 11. For my Names sake I will defer mine anger for how should my Name be polluted and I will not give my Glory to another He proclaimeth his strength and
Power and the works of his Power reflect Glory upon that part of his Name Jer. 10.6 his name is great in Power Jer. 32.20 which hast set signs in Egypt c. And hast made thee a name as at this day He hath proclaimed that he is long-suffering and the works of his Patience towards our back-slidings and rebellions reflect Glory upon that part of his name Psal 106.8 Nevertheless he saved them for his Name sake that he might make his mighty power known the power of his Patience to forbear them as well as of his strength to deliver them And thus Psal 48.10 According to thy Name so is thy praise in all the Earth that is all the works of God and his dispensations carry an impression of the Glory and Truth of some Attribute of his Name Psalm 134.2 I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindness and thy Truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy Name that is thy word hath proclaimed thy name to be Merciful Bountiful c. And all the course of thy Government in the World doth Justifie the truth of that word of thine and doth attest it every part of it bringing back to some Attribute of that Name of thine Glory and a just suffrage unto the truth of thy Word Hallowed or Sanctified be thy Name This Imports these things 1 That all the works of God and the actions and occurrencies of the World may bear upon them and in them an impression of the Glory of God of his Power Majesty Wisdome Goodness Justice That they may have upon them that Beauty Comliness and Usefulness that he originally did put upon them God made all things for his Glory and in conformity thereunto they were in their original full of Beauty and Order and the Excellence of the Work did speak the Perfection of the Workman but the Sin of Men and Angels brought upon some parts of his works a deformity and disorder Gen. 3.17 I have cursed the ground for thy sake And though in that curse and in all other the consequents of Sin there is still a Glory of the Justice of God in punishing and of his Wisdom in managing of them yet much of the beauty of the works themselves is taken from them by that disorder that sin hath brought upon them When we pray therefore that the Name of God may be hallowed we desire that as much as may stand with his will all things may bear in them the impression of his Glory that they may have a conformity not only to his will but to his good pleasure that in all things the Wisdome and Goodness and Power of God may be conspicuous that he would in Christ take out that disorder and curse that hath by Sin defaced the Creature that all things may in the highest measure be restored to their primitive perfection that all the occurrencies of the World and all the actions of Men and Angels may carry in them the most eminent inscription of his Presence Wisdome and Goodness and may be directed with the best advantage to his Glory Our love to God makes that which he wills to be our wills and as he wills his own Glory so it makes us to desire his Glory And though we are to leave the particular manifestation thereof to his Wisdome yet it must be our chief desire that all things may in the highest measure move to his Honour and bear the inscription of it And this is that praise that David calls for from all creatures Psal 148.150 2. In as much as God hath indued Reasonable Creatures with understanding and Capacity to discover the Wisdom and Goodness of God in his Creatures and Works we are to desire that the Works of God may not only carry in them a Native or secret impression of his Power Wisdom and other Attributes but that it may be made evident and discovered and manifested to the understandings of Men and Angels and that they may discern it and be convinced of it Psal 9.16 that the Lord may be known by the Judgment that he Executes Ps 64.9 And all Men shall fear and declare the works of God for they shall wisely consider his doings Psal 58.11 So that a Man shall say verily he is a God that Judgeth in the Earth Psal 111.2 That as his works are great so they may be sought out that as all the works of God contain an objective glory of God in them so that the same may be seen and observed by those parts of his Creation Men and Angels that have a capacity to receive it and for that purpose that objective Glory of God is put into all creatures and this capacity or receptivity is placed in Intellectual Creatures that they may observe and discern the Glory of his Wisdom Goodness and Truth and all other his Attributes in the Creatures 3. And in as much as he hath magnified his Word above all his Name Psal 138.2 That is he hath evinced the truth of his Word and every part thereof in all the course of his Providence and Works that Men and Angels may discern and understand the fulfilling and making good of his Word The Sun shining upon a Glass doth cause a reflection of his beams but many may not see it either because they are blind and cannot see it or they look another way or stand in such a position that they do not see it and so it is with the Works of God When I pray that his Name be hallowed I pray that God would be pleased to open the Eyes of Men by his Spirit to put them in such a frame and position that they may discern the Power and Wisdom and Goodness and Justice and Truth of God that reflects from his Works that these impressions of his may not be lost unto us nor the Glory of them lost unto him 3. That the observation and discovery of the Truth and Goodness c. of God may not only work a conviction thereof in our Understandings and Judgments for thus it doth even to the devils themselves but that that conviction may raise up in the minds and affections those sutable consequences that should arise from such a conviction such as are these 1 A subscription and setting to our seal that God is True and Just and Merciful In the work of Conviction we are in a manner passive but herein we are active when in our hearts we do cheerfully and willingly subscribe and attest to all that Goodness and Truth whereof we are thus convinced 2 An Inward Admiration of the Power Truth and Glory of God that is thus discovered unto us The natural effect of great discoveries is Admiration 2 Thes 1.10 To be admired in all them that believe 3 Blessing of that goodness of his not only that is discovered unto us but that so far condescends to his creature as to shew us so much of his Glory Truth and Greatness 4 An Attribution of Infinitely more Glory Majesty Mercy
Angel of the Lord smote him Acts 12.23 and when the great King was puffed up with the greatness of his Glory and Power then the Message comes that the Kingdom is departed from him Dan. 4.13 And commonly God takes that season to punish the whole stock of Sins that a man hath committed when his heart is most lifted up Pro. 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction Again Presumptuous Sins these bid defiance to the Name of God to his Truth his Justice his Power his Presence Deut. 29.20 The Jealousie of God will smoke against such a Man Scandalous Sins in those that bear or profess the Name of God 2 Sam. 12.14 by this occasion is given to the Enemies of God to blaspheme Inadvertence and want of Consideration of the Works of God Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operations of his hands therefore shall he destroy them and not build them up Psal 28.5 God therefore doth dispense many of his works of Providence that Men should wisely consider of his doings and declare his work Psal 64.9 This Inadvertence partly disappointeth God of his End and robbeth him of his Glory Misapplication of events either to false causes Idols Fate Fortune or only to Second causes without the due attribution of all to the most Wise and Powerful Counsel of the Mighty Lord Deut. 8.17 18. And thou say in thy Heart my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is hee that giveth thee power to get Wealth So for promotion Psal 75.6 Victory Isay 10.5 O Assyrian the Rod of mine anger 13. but he saith by the strength of mine hand have I done this and by my Wisdom And as in things concerning others this Observation is to be used so principally in the Occurrences and Providences concerning thy self to labour to know that all things that befal thee come from the most Wise and Just hand of God in all thy Blessings acknowledge his Mercy and labour to find him in them in all thy Afflictions acknowledge his Justice and his Wisdom Labour to find out the Cause and give him the Glory Now concerning the Order of this Petition it fell not in the first place by Chance but he that was the Wisdom of the Father placed it there upon most just Reasons 1. The Glory of God is that which is first to be sought for because it is the chief End of God in all things and that which he principally intended He made all things for his Glory Vide Isa 43.7 21. The first and highest Duty of Man is to Love God and Love to God will carry the Heart to desire that first which God first wills in so much as if the Glory of God must be lost or the Soul that loves him the perfection of Love will choose the preservation of his Glory rather than of it self if it were possible Vide Exod. 32.33 Rom. 9.3 2. It is the Justest and only Tribute that all Creatures can return to God for their Being and Blessing Such is his infinite Self-sufficiencie that it is impossible he can receive any good from them that receive their Being from him Job 35.7 If thou be righteous what givest thou him Psal 16.2 My goodness extendeth not to thee But the return of the Honour and Glory and acknowledgment of his Goodness is all that the Creature can give and that he is pleased to accept Psal 50.15 I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 116.12 Whatshall I return unto the Lord for all his benefits to me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Revel 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created And according to this Debt of Duty which the Creatures owe to God for their being so we find them according to their several capacities and conditions bringing in their Tribute Revel 5.13 And every Creature which is in Heaven in the Earth and under the Earth and in the Sea heard I saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for Ever and Ever 3. It is the best preparative for the Heart that approacheth to God in Prayer to be first taken up withal If in the ordinary Actions of our Nature the Glory of God should affect our heart and be the End at which we should aim 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye Eat or Drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God And if the Son of God in this Pattern of Prayer begins his Petitions with the sanctifying of his Name it is certainly most necessary that the heart of him that sets upon this Duty be taken up with the consideration of the Honour and Majesty of him who will be sanctified by all that draw near unto him and to carry that End through all our Prayers lest while we repeat the words of this Petition we take the Name of God in vain seemingly praying for the Glorifying of that Name which we at the same time dishonour either for want of a due consideration of his Majesty or for want of making his Glory the Rule and End of our Prayers This first Petition therefore requires that the Heart be duly affected with the Glory of that Name which it invokes and duly acted and directed to that Glory and that this Petition be drawn through all the rest of our Requests These ensuing Considerations therefore arise from the placing of this Petition first in this Prayer 1. As thou prayest that his Name be hallowed so in all thy Request labour to Sanctifie the Lord in thy Heart Sanctifie him in his Greatness and Majesty with honourable and reverent thoughts of him in thy Heart with an aweful and humble carriage both of thy inward and outward man as in the presence of the Great and Glorious King of Heaven and Earth Sanctifie him in his Authority and Sovereignty by calling upon him in Obedience to his Command and Will who hath Commanded it by acknowledgment of thy dependance upon him Sanctifie him in his Power and All-sufficiencie by casting thy self upon him who is Mighty to Save and to fulfil thy most Extensive and Large Requests Sanctifie him in his Goodness and Mercy which is infinite more large to pardon thy Sins to supply thy Wants and to fill thee with all good Things than thy Necessities or the widest compass of thy Soul can be to ask Sanctifie him in his Truth and Faithfulness by a recumbence and resting upon his Promises that no one thing shall fail of all the good things that he hath spoken that no man shall seek his Face in vain that he that hath said Whatsoever thou shalt ask in his Son's Name he will give it that hath granted us access unto him upon the purchase of his Son's Blood will in no sort
reject those Requests which he himself hath Commanded thee to make 2. As thou prayest in the first place that his Name may be sanctified so let that be the End of all thy Requests Be sure thou ask not any thing which may not be sutable to that End much less contrary to it And in what thou askest agreeable to that End let it be likewise for that End Ask not thy daily Bread for thy Lusts but that thou mayest Glorifie him by it and for it Ask not Pardon for thy Sin barely for thy ease from Punishment much less to make room for new Offences but that thereby his Mercy and Truth may be magnified and his Creature restored to a condition actively to serve him and glorifie him The End is first in intention and is it that draws out all the Actions and orders and directs them to that End and every Action tasts and relisheth of that End Since therefore the Sanctifying of the Name of God is or should be thy chief End and therefore is first in thy Requests Let all thy Requests and Prayers be primarily and chiefly directed to this that is or should be thy chiefest End 3. As the Glory of God should be the chief of thy desires so consequently must it be the Measure of them That which is the chiefest End must control and over-rule all other subordinate Ends if they come in competition with it For as it is of greatest value so it is of greatest force Whatsoever therefore thou askest let it be still with subordination to the Glory of God and be rather contented to be disappointed in thy other inferiour Ends than that this should in the least degree be disappointed Only know and rest assured of this truth that such is the great Goodness and Wisdom of God that he hath placed all those Requests which are of absolute necessity to be granted thee in such an order and path that the granting of them always consists with his Glory and whil'st thou seekest them thou canst not miss of glorifying him and therefore thou mayest be sure the making of his Glory the measure of thy Request shall never disappoint thee in them such as are the pardoning thy sins the delivering thee from being finally overcome with spiritual Evil but thy other requests for temporal Benefits or Deliverances or the particular Circumstances of those other as the manifestation or assurance of Pardon the degrees of spiritual Blessings or the seasons of granting them these may not always lie in the Road-way of his Glory Be content in these to wait upon him and let them still be asked with subordination to this great End but be assured that by preferring his Glory as thy chief End and subjecting the fulfilling of thy Request to the Glory of God thou shalt be no loser in the end Never any man was a loser nor ever shall be that principally intends the Glory of God though to the disappointment of his own particular Ends. Thou hast done thy duty in asking and in asking with this restriction if it tend most for the Glory of God And thou hast done thy Duty in being contented and rejoycing that thy very request is disappointed if God receive Glory thereby for thou hast that which thou diddest in the first place desire and had thy particular Request been granted and the Glory of thy Maker suffered thereby thou had'st been disappointed in this first and great Petition Sanctified be thy Name which thou hast carried along with thee as the qualification of all the rest of thy Requests and as that which thou hast as it were prayed over again in every other Petition thou hast made Assure thy self if thou canst take delight in the Glory of God though to thy own particular damage God will more abundantly recompence thy seeking of his Glory than that very Petition which is denied could have done if granted Thou servest a Bountiful Master that will surely recompence thy Love of his Glory above thy own particular advantage And thou servest a Wise Master that will recompence thee in such a kind or at such a season as shall be more sutable and more comfortable than if thou had'st been thy own carver And this thou shalt clearly and sensibly find that which thou did'st in the first place ask is granted in kind viz. the Honour of God and that which thou did'st ask for thy self though denied in kind is the more granted in value thy own particular benefit Our Saviour prayed that that bitter Cup of death might pass from him yet with submission to the Will and Glory of God Matth. 26.39 yet his Soul must be made an offering for sin and it was so The Glory and the Truth of God required it yet he was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 he suffers him to dye but raiseth him from death and he saw of the travail of his Soul and was satisfied Isa 53.11 Thou prayest for deliverance from any affliction from a Disease from Poverty for knowledg or Assurance in such a degree It may be it will not be so much for the Glory of God to grant it or to grant it yet as for the present to deny it First therefore pray Thy Name be hallowed and though I am for the present denied it is enough I am abundantly answered if God be glorified though I be denied Thou shalt find that none that waits upon him shall be ashamed if he grant thee not deliverance he will give thee sufficient Grace if he deny thy recovery he will give thee patience if he deny thee Riches he will give thee Contentedness If he deny thee that measure of Grace he will grant thee Humility If he deny thee that degree of Assurance he will give thee Dependance So that though thou walk in darkness for a while and hast no light yet thou shalt trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon thy God Isa 50.10 such is the Goodness of God that while we seek his Glory in the first place and other things with subordination to it our other request shall be granted either in kind or compensation Thy Kingdom Come The Kingdom of God hath several acceptations 1. His Universal Kingdom The Kingdom of his Providence which extendeth to all the Actions and Events of all his Creatures Mat. 10.39 Luke 12.6 even to the falling of a Sparrow Psal 103.19 The Lord hath prepared his Throne in Heaven his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 66.7 He ruleth by his Power for ever his Eyes behold the Nations And this he doth by planting originally in his Creatures their several Laws or Rules by which they move by a derivation of a continual Influence whereby they are supported and preserved in their several Motions Operations and Beings which if he should withdraw but one Moment all things would return unto their Nothing by correcting and over-ruling of all things sometimes contrary to their Nature to shew his freedom and Sovereignty but always by the mingling
an unsearchable bottomless Fountain of Power as well to pardon as to punish Our Temptations unto sin meet us upon every occasion from without us and from within us and we have no wisdom in our selves to foresee them no strength nor yet any will to oppose them but thou hast infinite Power to foresee to prevent to divert them and to deliver from them The least of Evils armed with the guilt of any one sin will like a weight of Lead press us into an impossibility of recovery from it the enemy of our Souls is conversant within us and about us and ready upon every occasion to seduce us into sin and to torment and disorder us for it and his power and strength and subtilty is beyond our power to resist and indeed he finds us willing captives but as thou hast Authority so thou hast Power to restrain him to discover him to fortifie and strengthen us against him and to deliver us from him And therefore I here lay hold of the strength of Omnipotency to grant these my Petitions but this is not all And the Glory Omnipotency though it be one addition of strength to our Prayers yet it is not enough The Leper in the Gospel said truly to our Saviour If thou wilt thou canst make me clean but yet he doth not conclude Thou canst therefore thou wilt but thy Glory is the great End of all thy Works the End of thy great Work of Creation Prov. 16.4 the End of thy Son 's coming into the World to redeem Mankind Luk. 2.14 the End of thy Eternal Counsel in electing some to Life and leaving others Rom. 9.22 It is the only Tribute that all thy Works can give thee for their Being and Preservation and that which thou accountest most dear and peculiar unto thy self Isa 42.8.48.11 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory I will not give to another And in all these my requests I have sought nothing but what conduceth to thy Glory In granting what I have here asked the Benefit is ours but the Glory is thine In it Thou hast the Glory of thy Mercy the Glory of thy Power the Glory of thy Bounty and Goodness the Glory of thy Truth and Faithfulness thou hast said of old that thy Glory shall be revealed and that all flesh shall see it Isa 40.5 that they shall sanctifie thy Name Isa 29.23 that thou wilt set up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed and shall break in pieces and consume other Kingdoms and shall stand for ever Dan. 2.44 Dan. 7.27 That thy counsel shall stand and thou wilt do all thy pleasure Isa 46.10 That thou wilt give us a new heart and a new spirit and wilt cause us to walk in thy Statutes and to keep thy Judgments and do them Ezech. 36.26 27. That verily we shall be fed Psal 37.3 That though the young Lions do lack and suffer hunger yet they that seek thee shall not want any good thing Psal 34.10 That if we return unto thee thou wilt have Mercy and abundantly Pardon Isa 55.7 That thou art a God Pardoning iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.7 That thou wilt not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able but wilt with the Temptation make a way to escape 1 Cor. 10.13 That if we call upon thee in the day of trouble thou wilt deliver us and we shall glorifie thee Psal 50.15 And yet though thou the great God of Power and Truth hast spoken all this and wilt do it yet that thou maist have the due acknowledgment of our subjection and dependance upon thee thou wilt be enquired of for this to do it for us Ezek. 36.36 37. And although we are so sinful that we cannot so much as deserve thy pity in our greatest misery yet for thy Name 's sake and for thy Glory's sake hear us Psal 106.8 For thy own sake Isa 48.11 And though all the Praises and Acknowledgments of thy Creatures add nothing to thy Glory for thine is an essential infinite absolute independent Glory yet since thou art pleased to accept of this our poor and our only Tribute and to take it in good part from thy Creature we will thankfully acknowledge thy great condescension to us in accepting of our Prayers and granting our Requests giving us liberty through thy Son to be intercessors for our selves for others nay for thine own Glory and Kingdom and the manifestation of it What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Give me Grace in all my wants and necessities to fly to thee by Prayer and in all my supplies and deliverances to return unto thee with Thanksgiving For Ever Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations Psal 145.13 A Kingdom which shall in time break and subdue all the Kingdoms of this World and the Kingdom of darkness Sin Death and Satan And as is thy Kingdom such is thy Power infinite in extent infinitely more comprehensive than the vastest wants or desires of thy Creatures infinite in duration unexhaustible by all the successions of Time and of Eternity it self And as is thy Kingdom and Power such is thy Glory an Eternal and endless Glory before the birth of Time when nothing had a Being but thy self thou had'st Infinite Self-sufficiency and an incomprehensible fulness of Glory Joh. 17.5 And when thou did'st in time create the World it did not contribute unto thy fulness of Glory but thou did'st communicate and imprint some of thy Glory upon it and all the Glory that thy Creatures bring unto thee is nothing else but the reflection of thine own Glory a recoyl of that Beam that came from thy Sun yet though the Glory of thy Essence cannot receive any increase by this reflection yet thou art pleased everlastingly to perpetuate this thy reflexive Glory by the immortal Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect to whom thou wilt unto all Eternity communicate a fulness of the Vision of thy Self according to the measure of their perfected but finite Natures and from that communication of thy Glory to them they shall everlastingly return Glory to thy Name saying Blessing Honour Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Amen Rev. 5.13 THE Lord's Prayer PARAPHRASED Our Father O Eternal and Glorious Lord God for thou gavest at first Being to the Common Parents of all Mankind Thou art our Father by Nature we owe our own immediate Being more to Thee than we do to our immediate Parents for thou art the Father of our Spirits Thou art our Father by our Preservation we could not support our selves in being one moment of time without the uncessant influence of thy Providence and Goodness Thou art our Father by Adoption receiving us in a more special manner to be thy Children in and through Jesus Christ
In all the course and passages of our lives thou hast manifested unto us the Love and Compassion and Tenderness and Goodness and Affection and Kindness of a Father Forgiving our offences Healing our back-slidings Pitying our weaknesses Supplying our wants Delivering us from dangers Accepting our weak endeavours to please and serve thee Providing things necessary for us and an Immortal inheritance of Glory and Happiness Blessed be thy Name that art pleased even from Heaven to commissionate us to come unto thee to call upon thee under that encourageing comfortable and near Relation and Title of our Father which carries in it the most full and ample assurance of Audience and Acceptation for with whom can we expect Acceptation or Access from whom can we expect the concession of what we need if not from Our Father to whom should we resort for supplies but to our Father Which art in Heaven It is true the Fathers of our Flesh did bear to us Tenderness and Affection but alas they were Mortal Fathers Fathers on earth Fathers that either are dead or must dye And besides though their affections might be large to us they were straitned in Power they were Earthly Fathers and possibly their affections to us were larger than their ability But thou art our Father an Abiding Everlasting Father a Father in Heaven As thy Love is abundantly extended to us as a Father so thy Power and Ability to answer us is as large as thy Goodness Thou art an Heavenly Father an All-sufficient Father we are not straitned in thy Love to us because thou art our Father neither are we straitned in thy Power Wisdom Goodness for thou art Infinite in all thy Attributes Isa 66.1 And yet though thou art in Heaven as thy Throne yet Earth is thy Footstool though thou dwellest in the Heavens by the glorious manifestation of thy Majesty yet the Heaven 1 Kings 8.27 nor the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee Thou art in all places by thy Power Presence and Essence Our Prayers have no long journey to thee for thou art near unto us and acquainted with all our thoughts and wants and desires And thou art not only present to hear our Prayers but to Relieve supply support us and art pleased by a special Promise to make the poor cottage of an humble sincere praying Soul to be thy Temple and to be present there Psal 145.18 and to be near to all them that in integrity call upon thee Hallowed be thy Name And since thy Glory and Honour is the great End of all thy works we desire that it may be the beginning and end of all our Prayers and Services Let thy great Name be Glorious and Glorified and Sanctified through all the World Isa 11.9 Let the knowledge of thee fill all the Earth as the waters cover the Sea Let that be done in the World that may most advance thy Glory Let all thy works Praise thee Let thy Wisdom Power Justice Goodness Mercy and Truth be evident unto all Man-kind that they may observe acknowledge and admire it and Magnifie the Name of thee the Eternal God In all the dispensations of thy Providence enable us to see thee and to sanctifie thy Name in our hearts with Thankfulness in our lips with Thanksgiving in our lives with Dutifulness and Obedience Enable us to live to the Honour of that great Name of thine by which we are called and that as we profess our selves to be thy Children so we may study and sincerely endeavour to be like thee in all Goodness and Righteousness that we may thereby bring Glory to thee Our Father which art in Heaven that we and all Man-kind may have high and Honourable thoughts touching thee in some measure suitable to thy Glory Majesty Goodness Wisdom Bounty and Purity and may in all our words and actions manifest these inward Thoughts touching thee with suitable and becoming Words and Actions Thy Kingdom come Let thy Kingdom of Grace come Let all the World become the true subjects of thee the Glorious God And let the Gospel of thy Kingdom the everlasting Gospel run victoriously over the face of the whole World Revel 11.15 that the Kingdoms of the Earth may become the Kingdom of God and of his Christ Let thy Grace and thy Fear and thy Love and thy Law rule in all our hearts and in the hearts of all Man-kind And subdue and exterminate the Kingdom of darkness the Kingdom of Satan the Kingdom of Anti-Christ bring all Men to the knowledge and Obedience of the Truth and let the Scepter of thy Kingdom be set up and upheld as long as the Sun endureth And let thy Kingdom of Glory come Also make us fit Vessels of it and that having this hope we may perfect holiness in thy fear 2 Cor. 7.1 2 Pet. 3.12 waiting for and hastning unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the day wherein he shall deliver up the Kingdom unto the Father 1 Cor. 15.24.28 that God may be all in all Thy will be done And since thy Will is a most Holy Righteous Gratious Just and Wise Will let it be evermore our choice to make thy will to be ours and to resign up our wills unto thee and to thy Will Let the will of thy Counsel be done and although we know it is not in the power of Men or Devils to hinder it yet so we do testifie our duty unto thee in praying that nothing may impede or retard the Will of thy Counsels for thy Counsels are full of Goodness and Benignity and Purity and Righteousness And we beg thee to give us hearts most entirely to wait upon thee in whatsoever thou shall appoint concerning us that if thou shalt give us Prospeirity and success in this life we may receive it with all Thankfulness and Humility and use it with Sobriety Moderation and Faithfulness if thou shalt send us Adversity we may entertain it with all Submissiveness Patience Contentedness chearfully submitting to the Dispensation of our Heavenly Father ever acknowledging thy Will to be the best Will and that whereunto it becomes us with all Humility to submit to and in the mid'st of all to rejoyce that our Portion and Patrimony and Happiness is reserved for us in a better life And as we desire the Will of thy Counsels may be done upon us so we desire the Will of thy Commands may be done by us and by all Man-kind that we may conform our Hearts and Lives to the Rule of thy Blessed Word that we may live in all Piety to thee our God in all Righteousness towards men in all Sobriety towards our selves that we may follow those Precepts and Patterns of Holiness Righteousness Justice Temperance Patience Goodness Charity and all other Moral and Christian Vertues that thou hast in thy Word commanded or propounded for our Practice and Imitation In Earth at it is in Heaven And that this Obedience unto Thee and thy
only Will is a sufficient rule of his Justice thou owest an infinite subjection to him from whom thou hast received thy Being His Soveraignty over his Creature is even by the very right of Nature Infinite and Boundless Be contented therefore to bear whatsoever he inflicts without the least disputing of the Justice or Injustice of it This was that Excellent Contemplation of old Eli under the most severe denuntiation of Gods judgment It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And it was that great Lesson that Jobs Afflictions was sent to teach him though he could not learn it till God himself as well for our Instruction as His taught him out of the Whirlwind but then he learned it and abhorred himself in Dust and Ashes for his former Ignorance and Frowardness 8. Yet further bear it patiently for that God that sent thee this Messenger doth behold and observe how thou entertainest it wherein we may with all due Reverence suppose the Lord of Heaven thus resolving Yonder is such a Man that professeth to Know and Fear and Love me and I see him nevertheless fond of his Wealth or Honor or some other Blessing I will give leave to Evil Men or Evil Angels as once in the case of my Servant Job to spoil him of Wealth and to cast him into Disgrace and I will observe his carriage and deportment under it and though I know what it will be yet I will make it now conspicuous both to Himself and Men and Angels And if his Deportment be not answerable to his Profession if he storm against my Providence or use unworthy Means to free himself or grow Impatient and Disorderly under it I will make his folly conspicuous and send more and sharper Visitations unto him till this fire of Afflictions hath brought him to his due temper of Patience Humility Submission to my Will Dependance upon my Power Subjection to my Soveraignty But if on the other side I see him humble himself under my hand Submit to my will Justifie me in his Sufferings Patient under them and Waiting my time to be delivered from them I will exhibit him before Men and Angels as a Patern of Patience and I will make him as Signal in his Deliverance as he is Eminent in his Patience Suppose thou couldst hear such a Deliberation and see and behold such Spectators of thy Deportment how wouldst thou indeavor to compose thy self with all Patience and Contentedness and Quietness and Resignation of thy self under the most severe Affliction And how little wouldst thou dare in such a Presence to discover or so much as entertain any Murmuring or Impatient thought Assure thy self though thou canst not with a bodily eye behold this Great Lord of the World beholding thee while thou art in this Scene of Affliction yet he beholds and observes thee and the very motion of thy Soul and the Glorious Angels though they cannot look into the secret retirements of thy Thoughts yet they behold thy external Deportment and are grieved if it be unseemly and unsuitable to the Honor of their and thy Lord and are glad to behold a Deportment suitable to the Ends and Glory of their Lord And the Evil Angels which irritate and provoke thee to Impatience are pleased and gratified if they effect it and ashamed and vexed if they are disappointed in it Believe it in a signal and eminent degree of Prosperity or Adversity thou art like a Man upon a Stage a spectacle exposed to the view of God and Men and Angels and Devils let thy carriage therefore be such as if thou didst as visibly behold thy Spectators as they most certainly do see thee Tenthly As thus thou art to bear thy Affliction patiently so indeavor to use it profitably and besides these advices before mentioned add to them these insuing 1. Learn by them to have a just Estimate of the World Affliction pulls of those fine gay Cloaths from the World by which in Prosperity it deceives us and renders it as it is a Vain Empty Vexing World 2. From that sound and just Estimate of the World Discipline thy Affections to a moderate and loose application to it It is true Afflictions do ordinarily imbitter the World to us and so for the present our Affections may be dull towards it but this arising meerly from Sense without a sound practical established Judgment it ordinarily lasts no longer than the Afflictions last and as they wear away and worldly comforts begin to grow up and increase so our love to the World comes on and grows up again But when a Man by the advantage of Afflictions digests this principle into his Judgment commonly it abides and moderates the love of the World notwithstanding the return of the Comforts and Advantages of the World 3. Keep up thy heart in a dependance upon Gods Power and Alsufficiency to deliver thee from Affliction or to support thee under it and labor by Observation and Experience to rivet this Dependance into thy Judgment and Choice It is most certain that almost every Man as long as he can have any thing to lay hold of besides will make that his Dependance The Sick Man will depend upon his Physician the Impoverished Man upon his Friends and the like but when there is nothing else to rest upon then Men will to their Prayers with the Mariners in the Storm but this being but an Act of Necessity as it riseth upon Necessity so it vanisheth with it When the Necessity is over and other Dependances come to hand we are apt to throw off our Dependance upon God Labor therefore for an Experimental and Judicious Dependance upon God Sometimes in Afflictions we begin to attain it but the best way is to begin to entertain such a Dependance before we are driven to it and then the Necessity of our Afflictions will fasten and improve it that it will stick with us after 4. By thy Afflictions learn to value and improve thy Hope and Assurance of Everlasting Life And indeed thy Necessity now doth in a special manner drive thee to it and it is a great End of Gods sending Afflictions that it may drive us off from the clasping of this present World and thereby carry us over to the valuation of our Eternal Condition Thy Wealth is gone and thy Honor and Reputation is sunk and blasted and thy Friends have forsaken thee and thy Body is mouldering to dust and rottenness and thy Soul sits hovering upon thy Lips ready to take her flight and all thy hold of this present life is broken and gone so that thou hast nothing now to lodge and fasten thy Hopes upon but the Promises of Everlasting Life thy interest in Christ the Hope of Everlasting Life and now if ever these things will be welcome to thee God hath scattered and broken all other Confidences improve this Vnum Magnum this one thing necessary that alone doth stand by thee when all things else forsake thee and
himself the Glory and Honour and Praise thereof might return unto himself who only can be the adequate End of himself of all he doth Thanksgiving therefore and Praise answers the greatest and most noble End in the World If I want and pray for what I want my immediate End therein is my own Good and yet that End is too narrow if I propound not to my self to Praise and Glorifie the Bounty of that God which answers my Prayer 3. Again whereas all the Irrational and inanimate Creatures in the World do passively praise Almighty God in that they bear every one of them the Inscription of his Wisdom Goodness Power The Reasonable and Intellectual Natures of Men and Angels have that noble Advance that they can and may Actively and Intentionally Glorifie and Praise the Goodness of God and it is indeed the noblest Harmony that they can make when they summon all their Understanding Will Affections all that is within them to Praise that God to whom they owe their Being and Benefits And the Wise and Glorious God doth therefore Communicate the sensible Experimental Eminent Influences of his Mercy Goodness and Bounty unto the Reasonable and Intellectual Natures of Men and Angels that they might touch and strike upon those noble strings of the Heart and Mind and Affections that may thereupon return the Harmony of Thanksgiving and Praise to the great Lord of the World And surely the Nature of Man in its true state and temper is as naturally and effectually moved to the returning of Thanksgiving to God for Mercies received as a well tuned Lute or other Instrument doth give an Harmonious sound upon the touches of a skilful Artist And most certainly that nature is strangely out of Tune and Order that upon Mercies received makes not a sweet return of Thanksgiving and Praise This therefore as it is the noblest so it is the most natural production of the Reasonable Nature the fullest of Congruity to the right disposition of its Faculties Almighty God sends upon the Children of Men Benefits Blessings Deliverances Favours And the fruit that he doth and that most justly expect is a Crop of Praise Glory Honour and Thanksgiving Call upon me in the day of Trouble and I will Deliver thee and thou shalt Glorifie me And it is a barren degenerate stupid Heart that yields not such fruit of such a Semination So that Praise and Thanksgiving is Con-natural to our very Faculties the tribute that the Rational Nature naturally payes to the Divine Being as his Benefactor the very fruit that the great Lord of the Harvest expects for all his Goodness and Mercy 4. The truth is Thanksgiving is the very End of Prayer and as the End is more noble than the means conducible to the End so therefore is the Duty the business of Thanksgiving in its self though equally necessary yet more noble than Prayer it self I want something that I would desire Almighty God to give me and I therefore pray my Merciful Lord grants me my desire and gives me what I pray for and therefore gives it and gives it upon my Prayer to him that therefore his Mercy and Goodness may be more Evident unto me and that thereupon I may Praise and Glorifie and give Thanks unto him And if with the Nine Lepers in the Gospel I receive the Benefit I ask and do not with the Tenth give Glory to God for the Benefit I receive I disappoint both the Giver of what he designed in the Gift and disappoint my very Prayers in that which is their just and proper End And hence it is that our Blessed Lord in that absolute form of Prayer which he hath taught us premiseth the first and greatest Petition of the Hallowing or Glorifying of the Name of God and the first the great the regnant Petition that is to influence all the rest that follow especially those that are for the supplies of our own wants 5. Whereas in Prayer we ask that we may receive from God Almighty God hath been pleased to Honour and Dignifie our Duty of Thanksgiving with so much condescention of his Majesty that he receives or at least interprets it as a Receipt from his poor Creature It is true our Praises add nothing to his Perfection and self-sufficiency Nay our very Thanksgiving and Praise is but a gift that he gives to himself He gives us a Being that may be Capable to Praise him gives us Hearts and Affections that may be willing to Praise him gives us Grace that may enable us to Praise him gives us Benefits that may Excite us to Praise him gives us Directions how to Praise him gives us Laws Commands Promises Encouragements to Praise him So that in truth our very Thanksgivings and Praises to him are but his own work and yet such is his Goodness that he takes and accepts and Rewards our Praises and Thanksgivings as if they were our own Actions And whereas in Prayer we receive from him in Thanksgiving he is pleased so far to Honour this Duty as if he received somewhat from us and accordingly accepts and rewards it Meditations UPON THE Lord's Prayer MEDITATIONS UPON THE Lord's Prayer Matth. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father c. BY the Sin of Adam and the Corruption and Obliquity that thereupon entred into the humane nature Mankind had contracted a three-fold mischief 1. Guilt that needed an Expiation 2. Blindness that needed an Illumination 3. Perverseness and Rebellion that needed Power and Victory to subdue it In the fulness of time God sent his Son into the World with healing for all these Diseases 1. He sent his Son to be our Sacrifice and our Priest and not only so in his own Person but by derivation unto those that believe on him he hath imprinted upon them and communicated unto them a participation of his own Office and hath made them Kings and Priests 1. By making an Atonement for them with his Father whereby they are accepted John 16.26 27. I say not unto you I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you not to Exclude the continuance and Efficacy of his Intercession but to intimate the fulness of our Reconciliation that having made us of his houshold Ephes 2.19 we may have access to the Master and Father of the Family Ephes 2.18 for through him we have access unto the Father 2. By sending his own Spirit to instruct and warm and fit our spirits to come into the presence for through him we have access by one Spirit Ephes 2.18 teaching what to ask and inabling us to ask as we should Rom. 8.26 For we know not what we should pray for as we ought 2. As he made him a Sacrifice for our Guilt so he sent him to be a Light for our darkness John 1.5 the World was all in Darkness and Error the most Exact Sublimate Wits inscribed their Altar To the Unknown God They were ignorant of things to be known and of
Psal 73.28 The Priests under the Law when they were to come near unto God in their Administrations were to be washed and clean from their natural and external Impurities and a Leper was not suffered to come into the Tabernacle but what is that to the Leprosie and Impurity of thy Spirit that very part of thee that only can have an immediate access to God and what Communion can there be between an holy God and an unholy Soul Psal 66.18 If I regard Iniquity in my Heart God will not hear me Consider therefore that thy approach is unto Heaven the dwelling place of his Majesty and of his Glory and Holiness becomes such an Habitation Psal 93.5 But who then is fit for such a communion What is Man that he should be clean and he which is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the Heavens are not clean in his sight how much more abominable and filthy is Man which drinketh iniquity like water Job 15.14 15 16. But for this thy Saviour hath given thee an Expedient he taketh away the iniquity of thy Holy things and mingles thy Sacrifice with his own insense and covers thy impurities with his own righteousness and if for all this the cense of thy own vileness cover thy Heart with shame and the burden of thy Sins and Corruptions keeps thy Soul under that it cannot with that clearness and confidence look up unto Heaven but with the Publican in the Gospel stand afarr off and scarce darest ask for any thing but what the sense of Guilt inforceth viz. Mercy to pardon thee yet such is the Goodness of God in Christ to thy low and humbled Soul that though thou hast scarce confidence enough to draw nigh unto God yet he hath compassion enough to draw nigh unto thee Psal 34.18 The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken Heart And though thy laden Soul can scarce get up into Heaven into the presence of thy Creator yet he will bring down Heaven into thy Soul Isa 57.15 Thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones 3. Let thy Prayer be full of Reverence with thy whole Man for as thou comest to a Father and in that relation thou owest him Reverence so thou comest to a Heavenly Father the great Lord and Judge of all things 1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's works pass the time of your sojourning here in fear And as a Father and such a Father calls for thy Reverence so especially when thou considerest that thou comest to this great King in his Throne in the place of his Majesty and Glory And therefore this Expression is added to take up the whole Latitude of thy thoughts with the highest apprehensions of the Glory and Majesty of the Lord before whom thou comest and that thou maist consider the Infinite distance that is between thee and the Lord of Heaven Isa 55.9 For as the Heaven is higher than the Earth so are my thoughts than your thoughts and my ways than your ways And upon this consideration to admire and magnifie the Goodness and Mercy of this great King that is pleased to admit poor sinful Worms to come into his presence and beg for our Lives and for our Souls with a Promise of Mercy and Acceptation 4. Let thy Prayers be full of Intention Thou dost or shouldest bring up thy Soul into Heaven into the Presence of the Great and Glorious God and what should thy wandring thoughts thy Earthly business do there leave them at the foot of the Hill when thou ascendest into the Mount of God Consider the person to whom thou comest exactly views and observes the frame and connexion and workings and motions of thy thoughts and desires and whether they go along with thy words or with thy External deportment and if they do not so much of thy Prayer is not only lost but a mockery and abuse of thy Maker And as the consideration of the Person to whom thou makest thy address so the Place where thou comest doth not sute with those impertinent and vain diversions Therefore when thou prayest do it considerately advisedly and with the whole Intention of thy Soul Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart utter any thing hastily before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon Earth 2. As this Expression teacheth us our duty towards God in Prayer so it teacheth us what to Expect from him 1. Hence learn the All-seeing Eye of God that is acquainted with all thy wants and with all thy desires It was a mistaken use that was made of his being in Heaven Job 22.14 Thick Clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of Heaven No but Psalm 33.13 The Lord looketh from Heaven he beholdeth all the Sons of Men. Psal 11.4 The distance of the place is no disadvantage to his sight or hearing Again Though Heaven be the Seat of his Glory yet all places are filled with his Presence but especially he is nigh to them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth Psal 145.18 is nigh to such as be of a broken Heart Psalm 34.18 is round about his people Psal 125.2 is nigh unto them in all they call upon him for Deut. 4.7 will bow down his Ear to hear Psal 31.2 will bow the Heavens and come down for their good Psal 18.9 So that thy Prayers have no great distance to go for all places are Heaven where God is and he is in all places especially where two or three are gathered together in his Name to call upon him 2. Hence learn the All-sufficient and Almighty Power of God Psal 115.3 Our God is in Heaven he hath done whatsoever he pleased As the relation of a Father carrieth with it a fulness of love to be willing to grant thy largest requests so the Consideration that he is a Heavenly Father carrieth with it a fulness of Power to grant them These considerations of the Love and Power of God bear up the Heart in Prayer as once Aaron and Hur did Moses hands Exodus 17.12 And therefore they are both placed in the Porch of this Prayer like the pillars of Jachin and Boaz in Solomon's Temple 1 Kings 7.21 To stablish and strengthen thy Heart in thy Prayer to God 3. As the consideration of Heavenly or which art in Heaven carries thy Heart to confidence in his Power and All-sufficiency to grant thy Petitions so it improves thy Faith in his Infinite Tenderness and Goodness When thou comest to the Father of thy flesh thy Earthly Father that relation imports and carries with it much
the Souldiers and Comfort and Satisfaction into the Souls of those that expected his Resurrection and cause that stone which the Pharisees laid upon the Sepulchre as a seal unto his Mortality to start aside and give way to our Saviour's Resurrection Mat. 28.2 3 4. And little do we know those wonderful Services that these invisible Powers do in the World even for poor and weak Men at the Command of their great Lord and Soveraign every hour in the day And now O Lord it is true that thy Will is done in Heaven by those thy glorious creatures perfectly and exactly but I and all thy creatures upon Earth have in us a mixture of darkness that we cannot know thy Will and a mixture of corruption that resists the obedience of thy Will and a mixture of impotence that we cannot perform that part of thy Will that we know and desire to obey so that when we can at any time say with the Apostle To will is present with me yet we must with the same Apostle say that how to perform that good we find not Rom. 7.18 Therefore I cannot in this House of clay hope to aspire to the full perfection of an Angelical Obedience nor to do thy Will on Earth as it is done in Heaven yet there is an imperfect Perfection which in Christ thou art pleased to accept of an Evangelical though not an Angelical Perfection in our Obedience a Perfection of Integrity and Sincerity free from Guile base ends or Hypocrisie a heart truly endeavouring to obey the voice of God in his Word and truly sorrowful for his defects and failings in that obedience Thus the heart of David 1 King 15.3 of Hezekiah 2 King 20.3 were perfect hearts the obedience enjoyned by David to Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 Serve him with a perfect heart and willing mind and this perfection of Obedience give unto thy servants that thy Will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Sincerely and Singly 2. Which is a consequent of the former Angelical Obedience is an Universal Obedience there is not any Command of God not the meanest but they perform it Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments hearkning unto the voice of his Word For the same principle of perfect Love to God moves them to a willing obedience to every Command as well as any and they find as much beauty in their obedience unto the Command of God when sent out to minister for the poor Members of the Son of God Heb. 1.14 As when sent upon an imployment for the matter more glorious And O Lord Let thy Will be thus done on Earth as it is in Heaven let me have respect to all thy Commandments and let no sin be so much mine so dear so natural so sutable to my nature or condition but that I may forsake it at thy Command and keep my self from my transgression since it is the same God that equally commands and forbids in all and the same Love to God which is or should be the principle and ground of all my Obedience Jam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all A heart that can observe some Commands and yet dispense with it self in the violation of others obeys not for Love of God but of himself 3. Angelical Obedience is a Willing and Cheerful Obedience Which still runs upon the former reason the principle of their obedience is perfect Love of God and Love is an active affection as strong as death so that they are glad of any opportunity to return the expressions of that Love in a most hearty and willing obedience Mat. 18.10 Christ speaking of the Angels saith They always behold the Face of my Father they watch and are attentive and with cheerfulness expect every Command of God And thus also let thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven that we may willingly and cheerfully perform thy Will glad that we thy poor creatures have any opportunity to do any service to thee though thou needest it not and thankful that thou art pleased to accept of the obedience of thy creature 4. Consequently an Angelical obedience is Speedy Swift Ready They dispute not the reason of the Command nor delay not the performance of it Like the Centurion's servant he saith to one go and he goeth Luk. 7.8 And Lord as thus thy Will is done in Heaven so let it be done on Earth when thou commandest things that our flesh and blood have much ado to disgest would fain be reasoning against or at least linger in the observance give us this grace not to confer with flesh and blood Gal. 1.16 but resolvedly and speedily to obey thy Will When Abraham was called to leave his own Country he obeyed and went out not knowing whither he went Heb. 11.8 When commanded to sacrifice his Son he rose early in the morning and goes about this hard imploy Gen. 22.3 Lingrings and Reasonings upon the Commands of God as they carry in them a want of Duty so they always bring with them much disadvantage either wholly intercepting our obedience or mingling with it much unwillingness and aversness to it 5. A Heavenly and Angelical Obedience though it be full of Perfection yet it is full of Humility They know that they owe an infinite Obedience to him from whom they receive their Being and that their Obedience to God is but the payment of that debt they owe to him and cannot make him a debtor to them They know that infinite distance between the infinite God and themselves though glorious yet finite Creatures and therefore they do not only pay their Obedience as a just Tribute to God without arrogance of merit but they do it with all the Reverence and Acknowledgment that is imaginable Both these we find in the Adoration of the 24 Elders Revel 4.10 11. They fall down before him and cast their Crowns before the Throne saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power The distance between God and Man is infinite and though the Angels are nearer unto God in perfection of Nature than men yet still the distance between them is infinite here is the odds the Angels see their distance and see more of the Perfection of God and the more they see of him the more they Adore and Reverence him and the humbler they are in their Services because they see the greatness of their distance And if Angelical Obedience that is so perfect shall be mingled with so much Reverence with how much Humility should our Services that are so imperfect be allayed O Lord Let thy Will be thus also done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us a sense of thy infinite Glory and Majesty of that infinite distance between Thee and thy Creature that with all Reverence to thy Majesty and all Lowliness in our selves we may appear before thee in all we do
more than ten thousand talents Yet blessed Lord give us leave to lay hold upon thy Promise which thou haft freely made and to strengthen our hearts in this that that God that hath commanded us to forgive our repenting Brother will not deny a Pardon to his repenting Children and that God that hath been pleased to promise forgiveness to us upon our forgiveness of others is a God of Truth and Faithfulness as well as a Father of Mercies and though our forgiveness of our Brother cannot in any proportion deserve our God's forgiveness of us yet when the God of Truth hath freely ingaged himself by his Word to forgive us if we forgive he will never break it and he that hath raised in our hearts by his Grace this Merciful temper and disposition towards others hath thereby given us a pledge of his Mercy and Goodness unto us in Pardoning all our offences And lead us not into Temptation And because we are weak and frail Creatures subject to be overcome with every Temptation to depart from our duty to thee and we hourly converse with all varieties of Temptations Temptations from the World Temptations from Satan the Prince of this World and which is the worst of all Temptations from our own sinful hearts corrupt natures unruly affections and without thy continual Grace Preventing or Assisting us the least of all these our Enemies and Temptations are able to over-match us And because we are obnoxious to Temptations in all our actions in all our conditions in all our wants and in all our enjoyments in our lawful actions we are subject to the Temptation of Immoderation and Excess in our religious actions to Formality and Vain-Glory in our Prosperity to Pride and Forgetfulness of thee in Adversity to Murmuring and Discontent and Accusing of thy Providence under Injuries to Vindictiveness and immoderate Anger under Comforts and Enjoyments to Security and Abatement of our Love to thee and setting up our hopes and our rest upon the present World in our Knowledge to vain and impertinent Curiosity Pride and Self-conceit in cases of Wants to unlawful Means for our supplies in case of Abundance to Luxury Intemperance and Contempt of others in Sickness to Impatience in Health to Presumption and Forgetfulness of our latter ends in our Callings either to Negligence Unfaithfulness and Idleness on the one hand or to overmuch Solicitousness and vexation on the other hand If we are in Company we are in danger to be misguided by evil Perswasions or Examples from others if we are alone we are apt to be corrupted by the evil suggestions of our own corrupt hearts or of that evil one that watcheth all opportunities either to seduce or mischief us And since all our ways are before thee and thou knowest the snares that are in them and how to prevent them or to prevent us from them or to preserve us against them we beseech thee by thy Providence preserve us from all those Temptations which thou knowest to be too strong for us and by thy Grace preserve us from being overcome by those Temptations that unavoidably occur in all our actions and conditions Grant us the Spirit of Watchfulness and Sobriety the Spirit of Moderation and Humility the Spirit of Patience and Wisdom the Spirit of Faith and Dependance and the Spirit of the Love and Fear of thy Majesty that may support us against all those Temptations unto any sin that may occur in the course and passages of our Lives that though thy Providence should permit us to fall into Temptation we may not fall under it but by thy Grace be delivered from the evil of it But deliver us from Evil. Deliver us therefore we pray thee from Evil of all kinds and natures from the Evil of Sin and from the evil of Suffering from such Evils as may befal our Souls either to disturb and discompose them or to defile and corrupt them from the Evils that may befal our Bodies by Casualties or Diseases from the Evils that may befal our Estates by Losses and Calamities from the Evils that may befal our good Names by Calumnies and Slanders from the Evil that may befal our Relations in any kind from Publique Evils to the Church or State wherein we live from Private Evils to our selves or others For thine is the Kingdome And though in this short Prayer we have been bold to ask of thee many large and ample Benefits and Mercies which if we look upon our selves only seem too great for us to ask yet they are not too great for thee to give for thou art the great King and Soveraign Lord of all the World in comparison of whom all the Kings of the Earth are but small inconsiderable things and yet even their Honour is much advanced by Beneficence and Bounty all which nevertheless is but a drop in comparison of that Ocean of Goodness and Bounty and Beneficence that resides in and hourly flows from Thee the great Monarch of the whole World Thy Subjects are all of thy own making and all the good that is in them or enjoyed by them is derived from thee to them The Strength and Glory and Beauty and Excellence of thy Kingdom is not derived from thy Subjects but from thy Self to them And therefore though my Petitions be great they are fit to be such because directed to the Mighty Creator and King and Monarch of the whole Universe the Root and Fountain of all Being and Goodness The Power And as thou art the Great Soveraign of all the World and art invested with the Supream Authority so thou art the great Creator of all things and art invested with Infinite Power and All-Sufficiency And as thou hast the Supream Authority so thou hast Boundless Power to grant and effect what we have asked As thou art the Great and Glorious King of Heaven and Earth and the Father of all Mankind we have reason to be confident in thy Goodness and Beneficence And as thou art the Almighty Creator we have assurance of thy Power to give us whatsoever thy Wisdom and Goodness doth move thee to bestowe And therefore upon both accounts we have reason to be confident in the obtaining of what we ask in this Prayer from the great Lord of all things that is Abundant in Goodness and All-sufficient in Power And the Glory And although thy Infinite All-sufficiency and Glory can receive no increase from thy Creatures yet give us leave with Humility to press Thee ever with this argument also Thou hast been pleased to declare unto us That thy Glory is thy great end of all thy Works and art pleased to set the greatest value that may be upon thy own Glory and art pleased to command thy Creatures to Glorifie Thee and dost accept that small Tribute of Praise and Thanksgiving and Glorifying of thy Name from thy Creatures in good part Thou hast the Glory of our Dependance upon Thee which we testifie by invoking thy Great Name thou wilt have the Glory of thy Goodness thy Power thy Bounty in granting these our Petitions and Requests and the Glory of our Praises and Thanksgivings for thy Bounty and Goodness in accepting and answering them which though it cannot benefit Thee yet it is all thy poor Creatures can return unto Thee and thou hast declared thy self well pleased with it Psal 50.32 He that offereth Praise glorifieth Thee Amen Blessed Lord therefore be it according to these our Petitions and Desires and so much the rather because these our Requests are not the product of our own Imaginations and weak Judgments but that Son of thine who best knew thy Will and what thou wouldest grant hath taught us thus to Ask and commanded us thus to thus to Pray Luk. 11.2 When ye pray say Our Father c. FINIS