SERMON III. MATTHEW vi. 9th. Our Father which art in Heaven. A FTER our Saviour had given his disciples a charge not to imitate the hypocrites, who prayed ftanding in the fynagogues, and at the corners of the streets, that they might be seen of men, nor to follow the example of the heathen, who used vain repetitions, and thought they should be heard for their much speaking, he proceeds to direct them in what manner they should offer up their prayers, and delivers that form which hath justly been the admiration of all ages, and the divine pattern whereby the Christian church hath modelled her devotions. If we confider the Perfon who gave this Prayer to us, it claims our highest regard upon his account; or if we duly weigh the value of the gift itself, it deserves our efpecial esteem upon its own. The Perfon who gave it to us, was no other than our bleffed Lord, who knew the wants and infirmities of our nature, being man, and the properest manner in which we could petition for the redrefs and relief of them, being God. The Prayer itself, whether we confider the order and harmony of it, the connexion of the parts, or the beauty of the whole, is worthy of the highest admiration. It is so plain, and perfpicuous, that the weakest capacity may understand it; fo fhort and concise, that the weakest memory may retain it; fo full and comprehenfive, that all our wants may very properly be reduced within the compass of it; in a word, it is of fuch intrinsick worth, that unbelievers must admire, though none but Chriftians can worthily repeat it. Our Our church hath fhewn that deference to this Prayer, that she hath inserted it in every diftinct office of the whole Liturgy, rightly judging, that it would diffufe a brightness around it, and atone for the imperfections of those services amongst which it was placed; fenfible that there must be imperfections in all human compofitions (though, vanity apart, our Liturgy is as perfect a work as humanity must ever hope to reach) fhe endeavours, by the frequent repetition of this Prayer, where all is perfect, all is worthy of the great author, to make up for her own defects; and providently confidering how unfettled the mind of man is, how perpetually roving from one idea to another, even during the time of prayer, fhe hath wifely contrived to recall and fix his wandering thoughts, which the chains of human eloquence are too weak to bind, by frequently calling upon him to join in the repetition of that Prayer, which, if we had not the word of God for it, would of itself proclaim its divine original. The fame regard which the church pays to this prayer in her publick fervices, doth it become every pious Christian to pay to it in his private devotions. Though, the foul pouring out herself before her Maker in fecret, is left at greater liberty than in the great congregation, and is not bound by fet forms of human compofition, yet even there fhe is not freed from this form, and if she hath any true judgment of the real value of things, will not defire to be. Man, retired from the world, may take a greater fcope, more explicitly dwell upon his wants, and acknowledge his fins; but, after all, he will find them here fummed up and epitomized in fuch a manner, and in fuch words, as will put the highest eloquence of man to the blush. As the good man will always use this Prayer, because Chrift hath commanded it, fo the wife man will use it, because he can find none that is comparable with it; it is the only Prayer which many, and the best which all can repeat; it is, in a word, that Prayer |
