A Little Cabinet, Section 33
Of the Lords prayer and the ſeveral petitions therein contained.
THere are in the Lords prayer ſix petitions, the three firſt do concern Gods glory, and the three latter do concern our neceſſity; divided as it were into two tables; whereof three do concern God, as doth the firſt table of the Law; and three do concern our ſelves, and our neighbours, as doth the Second table; ſo that by the very order of the petitions we may learn this, that we ought to think upon Gods glory before any thing that belongs to us, John 12. 27, 28.
The ſix petitions are as followeth.
1. Hallowed be thy name, Mat. 6. 9. Luke 11. 12.
2. Thy kingdom come, Mat. 6. 0. Luke 11. 2.
3. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, Mat. 6. 10. Luke 11. 2.
4. Give us this day our daily bread, Mat. 6. 11. Luke 11. 3.
5. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive them that are debtors to us, Mat. 6. 12. Luke 11. 4.
6. And leads us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Mat. 6. 13. Luke 11. 4.
1. Of the firſt, Hallowed be thy name.
1. By the name of God, we are to underſtand God himſelf, 1 Kings 5. 5. Iſa. 26. 8.
His titles, as Jehovah, Eloim, the Lord of Hoſt, and ſuch like; and then his attributes, and properties, as wiſdom, power, love, goodneſs, juſtice, mercy, truth, Exod. 33. 18, 19. & 34. 5, 6.
We are ſaid to hallow his name, when we acknowledge it, and honour it, Pſal. 96. 7, 8.
Thereby as it were ſetting the crown of holineſs and honour upon the head of God.
2. In the next petition, Thy kingdom come.
In this petition we pray that God may reign in our hearts, that the kingdom of ſin and Satan being more and more aboliſhed, Act. 26. 18. Col. 1. 3 Chriſt may now reign in our hearts by grace, Col. 3. 15, 16. and we with him for ever in glory, 2 Tim. 2. 5. 12.
3. In the next petition, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Hereby we exclude all wills oppoſed to the will of God, as our own will, and all wills of evil men, or wicked Angels may be diſſappointed; and ſo we deſire grace, that we may obey his will, and not the luſt of the fleſh and the will of man.
4. In the next petition, we pray, Give us this day our daily bread.
In this petition, we beg that God would provide for us competent maintenance, or ſuch a proportion of outward means, as he ſhall ſee meet for us, Prov. 30. 8. and that he would give us grace to rely upon his providence, for all the means of this temporal life, and to reſt contented with that allowance which he ſhall think fit for us, Pſal. 4. 11, 12.
Yea in this petition we beg health, wealth, food, ſleep, rayment, houſe, &c: together with all the helps and means to attain them, and that he would give us care and conſcience, to get thoſe needfull things by lawfull means, that labouring with our hands the thing that is good, we may eat our bread, Eph. 4. 28. 2 Theſ. 3. 12.
5. The fifth petition, And forgive us our debts, as even we forgive them that are debtors to us.
In this petition there is a frank and humble confeſſion that we have ſinned, and ſtand guilty of original and actual tranſgreſsions, and that there is no power in us to make ſatisfaction ſor our ſins; for by the Law, as by an obligation, every man ſtandeth bound to keep it holy, and continually, Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. James 2. 10. So that the breach thereof even once, and in the leaſt point, maketh us debtors preſently (as having forfeited our obligation) So that no man can make amends unto God for it, conſidering that whatſoever he doth after the breach, is both imperfectly done, and if it were perfect, yet it is due by obligation of the Law, and therefore cannot go for payment, no more then a man can pay one debt with another.
6. The ſixt and laſt petition: And lead us not into temptation but delievers from evil.
In this petition we pray, that not only our ſin may be pardoned, but alſo that it may be mortified, Rom. 6. 1, 2. and that we may be either kept from temptation, or preſerved by his grace from being hurt thereby, 1 Cor. 10. 13. 2 Cor. 12. 9. The effect of temptation, without the ſpecial grace of God, is extreamly evil, to wit ſin and damnation, 1 Tim. 6. 9.
Now ſeeing we cannot be tempted without the will of God, Job 1. 10. nor reſiſt without his power, 2 Cor. 12. 9. If it be his bleſſed will, that he would not let us fall into the one, unleſs he preſerve us in the other, and that he would tie up Satan, and reſtrain his malice and power, or elſe make us wiſe to know and avoid his ſtratagems.