to remember that all Things are under God's allfeeing Eye, that there is no concealing of our Faults from him, as we do fometimes from our earthly Parents. He fees not only into our Actions, but into our Intentions, and will treat us accordingly; and therefore there is the greatest Obligation upon us to behave our felves as dutiful Children, always under their Father's Eye, and expecting to render an Account to him of all their Actions.

Thus we fee what an Influence this Notion of God, as our heavenly Father, would have upon all our Actions. I fhould next have fhewn, what we may expect from it; for I do not think it was more defigned to ftir us up to our Duty, than to encourage our Hopes in these our Addreffes to our heavenly Father. I have not Time to handle this as it ought. But in a Word,

1. Here is Encouragement for us, if we have been ever fo great (a) Prodigals, fo we do but repent and amend, and return to our Father; he will receive us with all the Joy imaginable.

2. Here is Encouragement for us, if we are under ever fo great Aflictions. God is our Father; and (b) like as a Father pities his Children, fo he pities them that fear him.

3. Here is Encouragement, if we have ever so great and many Enemies; it is but fleeing to our heavenly Father, (c) who is a Refuge for the Oppreffed, a Refuge in Time of Trouble.

4. Here is the greatest Encouragement to all our Addreffes to the Throne of Grace. God is

(a) Luke xv. 20. (b) Pfal. ciii. 13. (c) Pfal. ix. 9.

our

our Father, and it is very natural to argue from thence, as our Saviour does, Matt. vii. 11. If ye then being evil, know how to give good Gifts unto your Children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good Things to them that afk him?

And therefore let us be much in Prayer, and let us put up our Prayers with all humble Truft, Faith, and Affurance, that our heavenly Father will deny us nothing, that he knows to be honourable to him, and good for us. He will give Grace and Glory, and all good Things, through the Mediation of Jefus Chrift.

To him with the Father, &c.

SERMON IX.

H

MATT. VI. 9.

Hallowed be thy Name.

The Third Sermon on this Text.

AVING, at the last Opportunity, spoke of the first Part of the Lord's Prayer, the Invocation; from these Words, Our Father which art in Heaven; I proceed now to the Petitions, which make the fecond and principal Part of the Prayer; the first of which I have now read, Hallowed be thy Name.

Before I enter on the Explication of this Petition, it may not be improper to confider a little the Order of the Petitions in general, that we may the better find out, both the Meaning and Importance of this, which is now under our Confideration. Now if we look Now if we look upon the Prayer with this View, we may cafily obferve that the three first Petitions are drawn with an Afpect to God's Glory, and the three laft with an Afpect to our own Good and Advantage: Hallowed be thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done. And then follow the Petitions for our felves: Give us; and forgive

forgive us; and lead us not. Now that we may proceed gradually, fomething, I think, is to be learned from this Order and Method. As

I. That nothing is to be prayed for, but what makes either for God's Glory, or our own, or our Neighbour's Good.

II. That of these two, the Glory of God ought to be preferred.

III. That the Petitions for the Glory of God, are to regulate and limit all our other Petitions; for our felves or others.

I. First, I obferve from the Petitions in general, that nothing is to be prayed for, but what makes either for God's Glory, or our own, or our Neighbour's Good. It is plain there is nothing else contained in this Prayer, which yet is given us as a Form and Model by which to frame all our other Prayers. And it is likewise plain, from the Nature of the Petitions, that there ought to be no other put up to Almighty God; for all other Petitions would either be finful in themfelves, as begging fomething dishonourable to God, or prejudicial to our felves, or others; or at leaft of a middle or indifferent Nature, fuch as we cannot know whether they are good or bad, but may be either, according as they are, or are not directed to thefe good Ends and Purposes.

II. The fecond Thing I obferved from the Petitions in general, is, that where those two, the Glory of God, and our own Benefit, or our Neighbour's, come in Competition, the Glory of God ought to be preferred. This I gather not only from the Order of the Petitions, but chiefly from the Nature of the Thing; for as to God's Glory, and our own, or our Neighbour's fpiritual and

eternal

eternal Good, they never come in Competition; as to the External Felicity indeed of our selves, or others, it may often interfere with God's Glory, and then there is all Reason it should yield and give way, though it were to spoiling of Goods, Imprisonment, Banishment, or Death itself. For what better Ufe can all these be put to, than to be inftrumental in procuring us eternal Life?

III. The third Thing I obferved from the Petitions in general, is, that the Petitions for the Glory of God, are to regulate and limit all our other Petitions for our felves or others: So that this general Exception is to be understood to them all: Grant me this, or that, as far, and no farther, than is confiftent with thy Glory and Honour, of which thou thy felf art the best Judge. As our Saviour cafts us a Copy in that Prayer of his, (a) Lord let this Cup pass from me ; nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Thefe Things being obferved from the Petitions in general, I return now to the three first, which relate to God's Honour: Of which the firft refpects his Glory in general, Hallowed be thy Name; that is, above all, and in every thing we pray that God's Honour may principally be regarded. The fecond refpects the chief Means of promoting that Honour among Men, by fetting up his Kingdom, that is, the Gospel of his dear Son Chrift Jefus in the World, Thy Kingdom come. The third ref pects the good Succefs of this Kingdom in fubduing the finful Lufts of Men, and in making them a willing People in the Day of his Power, Thy

(a) Matt. xxvi. 39.