A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice, Part 1 · Chapter 4 · Section 9
A Brief Expoſition OF THE Lords Prayer.
OUR Saviour, Matth. 6.9. &c. taught his Diſciples after what manner to Pray, and gave them a breviary or pattern of Prayer, which they might uſe in form (as ſeems to be intimated, Luke 11.2.) or according to which they might order and regulate their other Prayers.
In this Plat-form there are three parts.
1. The Preface, Deſcribing God, to whom we are to pray. (1.) By his dear Relation to us; [Our Father,] therefore moſt ready to ſuccour us and others, with whom or for whom we pray. (2.) By his greatneſs and Majeſty, [which art in Heaven;] that is, who doth manifeſt himſ…lf (though he be every where preſent) in Glory and Majeſty, in, and from the higheſt Heavens; and therefore moſt able to hear and help all his children, and moſt juſtly to be reverenced, loved and truſted in by them.
2. The ſubſtance of the Prayer containing ſix Petitions. The three firſt whereof have reſpect to Gods Glory; the three latter to our ſelves and our particular good.
1. [Hallowed be thy Name;] wherein we Pray and Petition that Gods glorious Nature and Attributes, viz. his infinite Power, Wiſdom, Goodneſs, Juſtice, Truth, Mercy. &c. (which are diſcovered in his word and works and whereby he is made known as men are by their names) may be diſplayed and more manifeſted to the world, that all men may acknowledge and own him for the only true God, and may glorify him accordingly.
2. [Thy Kingdom come;] that is, that his Kingly Power may be more and more manifeſted in the curbing and ſubduing of Satan and all his enemies, that his Kingdom of Grace may be advanced and promoted by his word and Spirit; that his Kingdom of Glory may be haſtned, Rev. 22.20. that the happineſs of his people may be full, and that Chriſt may reſign up the Kingdom which he adminiſters as Mediator to his Father, and God may be all in all.
3. [Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven;] that is, that we and all his people on Earth may ſincerely, chearfully and conſtantly do and ſubmit to his holy will, as Angels and glorified Saints do in Heaven.
4. [Give us this day our daily-bread;] wherein we acknowledge God the Author and Giver of all our Mercies, and that we receive all from his free bounty: That we ought dayly to depend on his Fatherly care and Providence, and not to be over anxious and ſolicitous for to morrow, neither inordinately to deſire ſuperfluities, but to crave and pray for ſuch neceſſary and convenient things as are daily needful and requiſite for the ſuſtentation and comfort of our bodily life, and that what the Lord is pleaſed to give us may be by him bleſſed to us.
5. [And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;] wherein we acknowledg that our ſins are debts, binding us over to puniſhment, and that our ſelves cannot ſatisfie for them. We pray that in Chriſt theſe debts may be freely and fully forgiven and pardoned. We profeſs we ought and do (through his grace aſſiſting us) forgive our debtors (that is, ſuch as have done wrong to us, and thereby not only made themſelves debtors to God but unto us;) that we do fully and freely forgive their wrongs and injuries done unto us, (though we are not alwayes bound to forgive the damage, See Exod. 22.1, 14.) and from thence we gather an argument to confirm our hope and perſwade our ſelves that God will forgive us.
6. [And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;] wherein we acknowledge our proneneſs to evil, and weakneſs to withſtand temptation; that God hath power over all corruptions tempters and temptations. We pray to be preſerved from temptations to ſin or from being overcome by them, and at laſt to be wholly delivered from them all.
3. The Concluſion, [For thine is the Kingdom the Power and Glory for ever, Amen.] Wherein we have (1.) The Doxology, acknowledging and aſcribing to God, the perpetuity of his Kingdom, Power and Glory, and encouraging our ſelves from thence to expect from him what we have prayed for. (2.) The ſealing up the Prayer with Amen. Wherein we ſummarily teſtify our fervent deſire of obtaining theſe our Petitions and our Faith in God for the granting of them.
THE Second Part, Containing a ſerious Diſſwaſive from the reigning and cuſtomary Sins of theſe Times, viz.
Swearing.
Lying.
Pride.
Gluttony.
Drunkenneſs.
Ʋncleanneſs.
Diſcontent.
Covetouſneſs.
Malice.
Idleneſs.