An Exposition of the Lords Prayer, Circumstance 2
2. The ſecond Circumſtance of this Prayer, as it is given in the Evangeliſt Luke, is the Conſideration of the Diſcourſes relating to Prayer after the giving this Prayer, that our Lord looks unto; and they are theſe Two.
1. The Earneſtneſs, and Importunity, that we ought to uſe in Prayer; and that muſt relate to this Prayer in all the Parts, or Branches of Pray…r, to which it directs us, and even Leads us by the Hand into; we ought to be ſo earneſt, as not to receive a Denial from God; And this Earneſtneſs He after, in this very Goſpel of Luke, particularly guides to, is unto his own Coming; when he will Avenge his own Elect; Aſſuring us, even while he does indeed Bear long, yet he will Avenge ſpeedily: And that herein he hath Reſpect to his own Coming, he plainly ſhews; For he adds, And yet when the Son of man cometh, ſhall he find Faith on the Earth? c. 18. 1, 7, 8.
2. The other Point of Prayer our Lord diſcourſes with Relation to this Prayer, is, That when his Servants are ſincere in their Deſires, God will give them the Beſt Things, though they may not underſtand the Heighth and Depth, the Breadth and Length of the Divine Promiſes, and Senſes of the Word of God, with Relation to Prayer; and particularly as gather'd into this Prayer; For God will underſtand for his Children the Beſt Things, even as a moſt compaſſionate Father; if his Children ask things that are good in their kind, he does not give things different, nor Below, much leſs contrary; but better and Above. And this may thus relate to this Prayer; the whole Stream of it runs into the Channel of Trueſt good Things; They therefore, whom the Holy Spirit moves to pray it, ſhall not be anſwered with any thing of a worſe or lower kind, but with the Spirit, the Supream, and All-Comprehending Good. And this He will give, and ſtill give, till it comes to the Height of His Kingdom, according to Eſay. 59. laſt; For ſo his Spirit makes Interceſſion with groanings not to be uttered; And God underſtands His own Spirit, as is after, further to be Inſiſted upon; and he underſtands it, not only by our words, no nor by our more formed apprehenſions, but by deep Search of our Hearts, and the moſt retired Operations of his Spirit within our Hearts.
And to this great purpoſe, our Saviour ſpeaks in thoſe words alſo in Matthew; Be ye not like the Heathen in much ſpeaking; For your Faiher knoweth, what things you have need of, before you ask Him; ſhewing; That Prayer is not to be manag'd, as if we would Inform, or change God, but to affect our own Hearts; and to put them into an order for receiving from God by his Grace in Chriſt, Spiritual Underſtanding, Holy Affection, Humble Dependence, Earneſt Deſire, and Zeal for his Glory, and Kingdom; and a State here preparatory for it. That way of Prayer, that either by meer often Repetition, by cuſtomarineſs, by not having the Spirit, and Power of the Word of God in it, is Unſerviceable to the Great Ends, is not after the manner of the Lord's Teaching to Pray, nor received into it: And what ever precribed way of Prayer it is, that more or leſs brings in a Rote of much Speaking only, and takes off from the Exerciſe of this Spiritual underſtanding, and Affection, hath ſutable degrees of that Great Guilt, of bringing Gentiliſm into the Temple of God, and taking away the daly Sacrifice of Prayer.
Object. But it may be ſtill ſaid, the Lords putting His Prayer ſo much into a Form, argues, He intended it ſhould be ſo uſed, elſe why did he put it into a Form?
Anſw. That He did not intend it as a Riged Form, I have fully argued; yet He put it into a Form, eſpecialy in Matthew, that it might ſtand the more Conſpicuous, and Full in all parts, as a Pattern; and might ever in Relation to His Kingdom be in conſtant Uſe, as to the ſubſtantial Importance of it; and by an Admirable Foreſight of the way of uſing this Prayer by the Chriſtian World, condemns the Ignorance, the Unbelief, the Oppoſſition to the Dactrine of His Kingdom, even out of the own Mouths of the generallity of Christians.
And now I come having ſpoken this in preparation, to Teach you the Ʋſe of this Prayer of the Kingdom, as David Taught the Children of Iſrael the Ʋſe of the Bow *2 Sam. 1. 1….; For Spirits of Saints Inſtructed, and Armed with the Spioit of this Prayer, and the Divine Senſes of it, without any over Ceremoniouſneſs about the Repetition of the Words, are as the Charriots, and Horſemen of Iſrael; eſpecially, They, who are thus inſtructed in it, As it is the Prayer of the Kingdom.
And herein, I have ſaid, I propoſe this to you, to give you the Key of this Prayer, as it is the Prayer of the Glorious Kingdom of Chriſt; and ſeeing I have declared, I do no way prejudice the Expoſitions Calculated for general uſe, tho I take the Elevation of this Prayer according to this Kingdom; let none thefore be angry at it, leaſt they fall under the Reproof of taking away the Key of this Prayer; They would not Enter in themſelves; and Thoſe, who are Entring in, they hinder, as our Lord, Cenſuring the great Rabbies and Maſters of the Jewiſh Law, ſpeaks concerning the Key of Knowledg, Luke 11. 52.
I will therefore firſt lay down ſeveral Arguments, that the true Elevation of this Prayer in its Expoſition muſt be, as it is the Prayer of the Kingdom; and accordingly, I will Aime to give it, when I have firſt Eſtabliſhed this main Poſition by theſe Proofs of it.