EXPOSITION OF THE SECOND PART OF THE Church-Catechism: CONTAINING The LORD'S PRAYER. Mat. 6. 9. After this manner pray ye, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c. Printed in the Year M.DCC.XXXI. ༠༠3 The PREFACE. A S God Almighty has the fole Right to rule and govern us, fo has he the fole Power to protect and provide for us: for the one, he has given us his Laws to direct our Lives; for the other, be expects our Prayers to obtain his Blessing. For tho he be both able and willing to fupply all our Wants, and has promis'd to grant all that is needful and convenient for us; yet he hath fufpended all upon the Condition of asking, and hath declar'd that he will be fought unto for these things. And indeed this is not only an easy and reasonable Service, but a fit and proper means for that end; Prayer being an Acknowledgment of the Divine Power and Readiness to help us, and likewife a Testimony of our Duty and Dependence upon him. But because of ourselves we know not how or what to pray for as we ought, our Bleed Saviour, who was best able, bath given us an exact Model of Devotion, known by the Name of The Lord's Prayer, which the Reader will here find in Some measure explain'd to him. It was twice deliver'd by Christ himself; once of his own accord in his Sermon on the Mount, and after that at the requeft of the Disciples, who defiring him to teach them to pray, as John taught his Difciples, gave them this, not only as a Pattern, but a perfect Form of Prayer; which hath accordingly been fo ufed in the Christian Church ever since. And this bath fet both the Lawfulness and the Expediency of Forms of Prayer above the reach of all just Doubt or Contradiction; for hereby our Saviour has taught us, to take to ourfelves words in our folemn Addreffes unto God, and not to depend upon prefent Conceptions, nor leave fo weighty a Duty to fudden Suggestions and Expreffions. Yea, by dictating Oo 4 this this Sacred Form, and directing his Difciples to use it, he has prefer'd premeditated and well-digefted Words before extemporary Effufions; and thereby advanc'd orderly and well-compos'd Forms above the irregular Devotion of gifted Brethren. Moreover, We may obferve in this Prayer the Succinctnefs and Brevity here us'd and prescrib'd by our Saviour, whereby a greater than Solomon bath will'd, that our Words unto God fhould be few. To this end, he has order'd our Petitions to be put up in general Terms, leaving the diftinct Matter, Manner, and Measure of difpofing them to the Wisdom and Goodness of God, who knoweth what things we have need of before we ask, and is ever ready to do more abundantly than we can either ask or think. By this he has taught us (as a great Divine hath obferv'd) that piece of good Manners, not to be tediously punctual and particular in our Prayers; as if God needed Information, or were apt to forget or neglect the Particulars of our Good, without minding of him. I fhall add no more, but Advice to all good Chriftians to a due Efteem and daily Use of this excellent Form, always tacking this perfect Prayer to their imperfect Petitions; which will render them the more pleafing to God the Father, when they are offer'd up in the Name and Words of his Beloved Son, in whom alone he is well pleased. Farewel. The Lord's Prayer. UR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this Day our daily Bread. And forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors. And lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil: For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glary, for ever. Amen. A |