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Object. But is not the heavenly Father often far from helping his children? Anf. The children of God often think fo, when their trouble is continued, and the deliverance comes not quickly. But he is their Father: therefore (1.) He defigns their good by all the hardships they meet with, Roni. viii, 28. All things fhall work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpofe. (2.) He pities them under their hardfhips. (3.) He is a God of judgement, knows belt when to remove them, and will do it in due time. The child cries, "Father, remove this affliction or this trial, for it

pains me.' The Father pities, but his judgement leaves it till it be good for the child that it be removed."

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II. I proceed to fhew what our being directed to call God our Father teaches us.

Negatively, Not that we may not pray, faying, My Father, or that we are always to fpeak plurally, faying, We pray. For we have fcripture examples for praying in the fingular number, Ezra ix. 6. Luke xv. 18. 19. But,

1. That we are not only to pray fecretly by ourfelves alone, but with others, joining with them in public and private. And hence may be brought no inconfiderable argument for that too much neglected duty of family-prayer; which the guilty would do well fe riously to confider.

2. That we are to pray not only for ourselves, but for others alfo, according to fcripture example and precept, Acts xii. 5. 1 Tim. ii. 1. 2.

Praying with and for others is a piece of the communion of faints. And it is one of the privileges of God's family on earth, that they have the prayers of all the family there. God is a rich Father who has bleflings for all.

III. I come now to fhew what we are taught by our

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being directed to addrefs ourselves to God as our Father in heaven.

1. That we are to eye his fovereign power and dominion over all in our addreffes to him, believing that he is able to help us in our greateft ftraits, that nothing is too hard for him, but he can do whatfoever he will, Pfal. cxv. 3. This is a noble ground for faith. Our fathers on earth may be unable to help; but our Father in heaven is almighty, and has power to help in every cafe.

2. That we should be filled with heavenly affections in prayer, Pfal. cxxiii. 1. and that God's glorious greatnefs above us fhould ftrike an awe upon us in our approaches to him, Eccl. v. z.

3. God's glorious and wonderful condefcenfion, who vouchfafes to look from his throne in heaven unto us poor worms on earth, If. lxvi. 1. 2.

4. Lastly, That we go to God as thofe who are ftrangers on this earth, and to whom heaven is home, because it is our Father's houfe, 1 Pet. i. 17. looking on this world as the place of our pilgrimage, and the men and manners of it as thofe we defire to leave, that we may be admitted into the fociety of angels, and confort with the fpirits of juft men made perfect.

I fhall conclude with a few inferences.

Inf. 1. Let us fee here the miferable condition of thofe who have no ground to call God Father. They were never adopted into the family of heaven, but are of their father the devil, ftill members of the fa mily of hell; and if they be not delivered from that hellifh fociety, they must perifh for ever. They have never yet prayed aright; for none can pray in a proper manner but thofe who have the Spirit of adoption. Oh cry to God, that he may be gracioufly pleased to tranflate you from the family of Satan into the family of God, and inveft you with the privileges of the children of his family.

2. There is no right praying without faith. For

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without faith it is impoffible to pleafe God, and whatever is not of faith is fin. We cannot call God Father, nor love or reverence him without faith nor can we have any fellowship or communion with him, but by faith in him as our Father in Chrift.

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3. Hence fee the happiness of the faints in the love of the Father who is their Father, of the Son who has made them the children of God, and of the Holy Spirit who teaches them to call God their Father. How happy muft thofe be who are fo nearly related to all the three perfons of the adorable Trinity, and are loved by and have communion with each of them! O feek above all things to become the children of God, and ye fhall be thus happy.

4. There is no cafe a child of God is much to mean ing in the world, as long as he has a Father in heaven, to whom he can have accefs by prayer at all times and in all cafes, whether it be in life or in death, Micahvii. 7. The believer's Father is a very prefent help in trouble; and when all help fails, he will never fail his own children; but will fanctify their troubles, be present with them in their greateit ftraits and afflictions, fupport them under them, and deliver them as he fees it will be for his own glory, and their good. O then let us plead our interest in him as our Father, and engage his Spirit and presence to be ever with us, in every circumftance of life, and in the awful fcenes of death and the grave, which we fhould view not with terror, but with joy, as the meffenger fent to convey us to the houfe of our Father which is in heaven.

IN

The First Petition.

MATTHEW Vi. 9.

Hallowed be thy name.

N the Lord's prayer are fix petitions, whereof
three are for God's honour, and other three for
VOL. III.
3 &

our own good. Thofe which concern the honour of 'God take the lead of what concerns our good; for it is highly reafonable that the creature's intereft vail to God's interest. The firft of thefe petitions relates to the name of God, and the ballowing of it, or fanctify. ing of it, that is, the glorifying of it. So the firft petition is for the glory of God's name. This is firft of all put in our mouths, because of all things it should lie neareft our hearts.

In difcourfing further from this fubject, I fhall fhew,

1. What is meant by the name of God.

II. In what fenfe God's name is to be hallowed or fanctified.

III. Why hallowed or fanctified, rather than glori fied, fince it is evident, that it is the glorifying of his name that is intended.

IV. What is the import of this petition.

V. Why this is the firft petition that is put by our Saviour in our mouths.

VI. Deduce fome inferences.

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I. I fhall fhew what is meant by the name of God. 1. God himself. So names are put for perfons, Rev. iii. 4. Thou hast a few names in Sardis; that is, a few perfons. And the name of God is put for God himself, Deut. xxviii. 58. that thou mayft fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD. Accordingly as we pray here that God's name may be hallowed or fanctified, fo he tells us he will be fanctifi ed, Lev. x. 3.

2. Every thing whereby he makes himfelf known to his creatures, Pfal. viii. 1. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! These are his names, Jehovah, I am, &c. though there is no word fufficient fully to express what he is; therefore his name is fecret, wonderful, or incomprehenfible, Judg. xiii. 18. His titles; Old-teftament titles, as Hearer of prayer; New-teftament ones, as, The God of peace, the God of

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patience and confolation, Rom. xv. 33. 5. His at ributes or perfections. Exod. xxxiv. 5. His word and ordinances, Pfal. cxlvii. 19. 20. and his works, Job xxxvi. 24. In a special manner Jefus Chrift, by whom, and through whom, and in whom God manifefts himfelf to us, John i. 18. And God's name is in him. But of the various fenfes in which the name of God is taken, I spoke more largely in the expofition of the third commandment.

II. I am to fhew in what fenfe God's name is to be hallowed or fanctified.

name.

1. Not effectively, by making holy. Holy is his He is infinitely holy, and cannot be made more holy. Whatever he is, whatever he fays, whatever he does, is perfectly holy, and cannot be made more fo, 1 John i. 5. Indeed he fanctifies his creatures by. making them holy, but himself is originally and eternally holy, incapable of any addition.

2. But manifeftatively and declaratively, viz. when the holiness of his name is manifefted, declared, fhewn, and acknowledged, If. xxix. 23. They shall fanctify my name. The holy name, in the dark parts of the earth, and in the dark men of the earth, is a candle under a bufhel; it has a glorious light, but it is not feen: the bufhel being removed, and the fplendor breaking forth to open view, it is hallowed: men then fhew, declare, and acknowledge it.

III. I come to fhew why God's name is faid to be hallowed or fanctified, rather than glorified, fince it is evident that it is the glorifying his name that is intended.

1. Because God's holiness is his glory in a peculiar manner, Exod. xv. 11.-glorious in holiness. It is the glory of all his other attributes; it is the beauty of them all, and of every one of them. It is an univerfal attribute which runs through all the other. It is that vein of infinite purity, that goes thro' the feve

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