minion, and his Power is uncontrolable and irresistible.

3. The Glory is that Praife and Thanks which are due to him for all that we have receiv'd, or hope to receive, from his Bounty and Goodness. He that offereth Praije glorifieth me.

Finally, Whereas it is faid, For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, the Meaning is, that we ask thefe Things of God, we make these Requests to him, because he is Lord over All, because he is Almighty, and because all Praife is due to him. Whereby you may perceive, that that which remains for me to fhew is, how our Requests are enforced by these Confiderations, what reafon they contain why we fhould pray earnestly, and hope to prevail; only it must not be forgotten, that we are to take in the Confideration of God's being our Father, and to add it to all the reft, to make the Reafon strong; if that be left out there is little Motive in the reft, or none at all; for fet this afide, that is, the Confideration of God's Goodness to us, and there will be little Encouragement left to ask any thing of him, because he is our Sovereign, Almighty, and because we are to praise him when we receive from him. It is therefore not unobfervable that our Saviour taught us to call God Father in the beginning of the Prayer, because this is that

Motive to Prayer which gives Force to all the reft. I take then thefe Things which we afcribe to God at laft, Kingdom, Power, and Glory, to be Explications of that Claufé in the beginning, which art in Heaven. For Our heavenly Father is as much as to fay, Our Father, whofe Dominion is over all, whofe Power is irrefiftible, to whom all Glory and Praise is due; and therefore in the Conclufion we may conceive the Doxology to run thus: "For thou art our "Father, whofe Kingdom is everlasting, "whose Power is infinite, and who only "art worthy of all poffible Glory and "Praife." I doubt not but every one of thefe Confiderations is applicable to enforce every Request, but I fhall at firft obferve where the reason is moft obvious.

1. When we pray that the Name of God may be hallowed, that is, that his own most holy Majefty may be had in Reverence and due Acknowledgment, and for his Sake all Things relatively holy, that are separated for his Service, may be reverently used, we have not this only to enforce the Earneftness of the Requeft, that he, whose Honour we are fo tender of, is our Father, but fuch a Father too as has, abfolute Dominion over us, because he made us and redeemed us, which our Earthly Parents could not do for us, whofe Right to us is therefore limited and bounded, who withal has

Vol. If. has irresistible Power, but yet will do no thing but what is good, to whom likewife we owe Thanks for every Bleffing that we enjoy. We are much indebted to our Earthly Parents, but not for all, 'tis only our heavenly Father to whom all Glory is due, and therefore we are much concerned to be careful of his Honour, who enjoy nothing that is good but we must own him to be our Benefactor in it.

2. When we pray that the Kingdom of God may come, that is, that the Gospel may prevail, What should make us fincere in ufing this Petition, by fubmitting our felves to him firft of all, and earnest in defiring that all others may do fo too, if This cannot, that his Sovereignty over us is abfolute and infinite, and yet that Kingdom, which we pray may come, is not founded merely upon arbitrary Will and Power, but fuch Promises, and that Covenant, which do aim at our Advantage? Again, Should it not make us earnestly to defire that God's Kingdom of Glory may appear, because he

Almighty, for then we know all Power being taken into the Hands of God our Father, if we be counted worthy to be the Children of that his Kingdom, we fhall be absolutely fafe, and nothing can hurt us? Thine is the Power, therefore, O God, let thy Kingdom come.

3. When

3. When we pray that his Will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, is not this a reason why we fhould do fo, because his Authority is equal in Heaven and in Earth, and therefore it is fit his Will fhould be obeyed here as it is there? His Power is the fame every where. And lastly, His Benefits towards us merit at least as much Glory, that is, Thanks and Praise, as his Goodness to the Angels does from them.

Let us go to the other Petitions, which more directly regard our own Good, and you will fee the fame Arguments will en force them. Give us this Day our daily Bread. For we are not only God's Children, and may therefore conclude that he is ever ready to fupport us, but we are always within his Jurifdiction and Dominions, and withal he is always able to fupply our Needs, because all Power belongeth to him; and by what Means foever we come to be fuftained with the Neceffaries of this Life, the Glory is due to him. It is he that. openeth his Hand and filleth us with his Bounty; therefore the Pfalmift had good reafon to fay, not fpeaking, I fuppofe, his own Experience fo much as a Point of Religion, When my Father and Mother forfake me, the Lord taketh me up.

Forgive us our Trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trefpafs against us. That indeed which giveth us Confidence to make this Requeft,

S

Requeft, is God's Promise that he will forgive upon Repentance, that is, his Fatherly Compaffion expreffed to us in that Promife. But then that which should give great Earneftness and Affection in making the Requeft, is the Confideration,

1. Of that Supreme Authority which we have violated by our Sins.

2. Of that Almightiness which we have provoked against our felves by them.

3. Of that Compaffion and Mercy which has put us under Conditions of Pardon.

So that if we prevail, the Benefit indeed is ours, but the Glory is God's. We should most earnestly pray for that, which when` we receive, our utmoft Thanks become due, nay, they become due before we receive it, because it is promised upon those Conditions he has required. Again, We defire Forgiveness on this Condition, that we forgive others, because God, who is our Lawgiver, may impose what Conditions of Pardon he thinks fit, and therefore we do not pretend to defire Forgiveness, but upon thofe Terms which he has required; and if we obtain it, ftill the Glory is his, who has forgiven us infinitely more than we can pretend to forgive others that have injured us.

Laftly, Lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil. Which is a Request that God would proportion our Trials to

Our