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what he gives will be in love, and be blessed to your real good. If you pray to him, not only riches, but poverty, shall be a blessing; afflictions shall be sanctified; every thing shall work for your good. But chiefly by prayer, you will obtain that which is better than riches, or honours, or life itself, even the loving kindness of the Lord. What would it profit to gain the whole world and lose our own souls? What value can there be in a few years of vanity, if we must be in consequence, more wretched for ever? The treasures of this world are less than worthless, if we must exchange for them the riches of grace and the hopes of heaven. If you faithfully serve God, he will give you that only which is truly good; which shall best prepare you for immortal blessedness. If you pray to God he will in this world be your hope, and in heaven he will be your portion.

You see then, something of the profit which you will have, if you pray unto him; you will perform a very important duty; you will satisfy your con+ science, and have peace within; you will obey the express command of your God and Saviour; you will obtain grace and strength to perform every other duty; and you will obtain the richest blessing that man can hope for, and that God will give.

Let us then make that improvement which is obvious; let us be more earnest and diligent in this holy, this profitable exercise. We cannot possibly be truly religious and accepted and blessed of God, without prayer. "Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and a vain deceit." A right use of our reason is noble and praise-worthy; and we ought to "pray with the understanding." But the reason, falsely so called, which is opposed to common

sense; the pride of reason which vaunteth itself above the experience of ages, and the wisdom of God, is indeed a vain deceit." They who thus profess to be wise become fools. What nation, or language, or people, not wholly sunk in barbarism, have not acknowledged the utility, and encouraged the practice of prayer? In this, "the wise and unwise," the learned sage, and the humble peasant, have generally agreed. Prayer is a reasonable service, and indispensably necessary to the Christian character; it is a profitable exercise of the mind, and not to be neglected without offence to God, and injury to ourselves.

In answering the objections to prayer, we must have seen the striking analogy between the kingdoms of nature and of grace. The same bountiful God who gives food to our labour, gives grace to our prayer; and those arguments which men urge to show that prayer is unprofitable, prove also, if they prove any thing, that it is of no use to strive for temporal things. The very objections, therefore, made to praying, when rightly viewed, show its importance; our natural aversion to it proves that we have much need to pray, that God may change our hearts, and renew a right spirit within us. It is the deceitfulness of sin; it is an evil heart of unbelief which causes the neglect of this essential duty, this holy exercise of faith. Against this evil heart, let us oppose the most sure and effectual remedy, our humble and earnest supplications. The disciples of Jesus were wise when they said, "Lord increase our faith." May the Lord God of our salvation, both teach us to pray," and hear our prayers, for his mercies' sake in Jesus Christ. Amen.

SERMON XXII.

ON THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Matt. vi. 9. 13.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our 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 glory, for ever. Amen.

AMONG all the means of spiritual benediction, and of obtaining the favour of God, which, in his abundant mercy, he has bestowed he has bestowed upon mankind, prayer is unquestionably the most essential and efficacious. And of all forms, or expressions of devout feeling in prayer, this which our blessed Lord prescribed, has an unrivalled pre-eminence. Of course, there is no other prayer which so merits our attention, and none, we trust, which by Protestants is so frequently used, as this.

But to utter words with our lips is but a part, and not the most essential part of prayer. We are to pray with the spirit, and with the understanding.

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Not only must our heart, or the affections of our mind, be fervently engaged, but our rational faculties are to be employed. It is required that we use words suitable for man to offer before God, and that we understand their true sense; and this the Lord's Prayer should especially be well understood by every Christian.

Our Lord's direction here is, "after this manner pray ye;" by which, as some understand it, he means that this is to be the model of our prayers; but that he does not command his disciples to use these very words. If we admit this explanation, still, except we can mend this form or make it better, it will be proper sometimes to use it entire as it is. This direction was given in the first year of his ministry, in the sermon on the mount. St. Luke has recorded in the eleventh chapter of his gospel, that about two years after, "as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when he had ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples; and he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven; hallowed be thy name;" giving them again this same form, which by way of distinction, we call the Lord's Prayer. And on this second occasion, he does not direct them to pray after this manner, but he commands them to use these words; "When ye pray, say, our Father which art in heaven." In the sermon on the mount this prayer seems to have been given them for private use; "When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly;" and they used it

probably, in their closets only. Sometime after, when they desired him to give them a form for social worship, as John had done to his disciples, our Lord gave them the same form which he had before prescribed for their private use, as being equally suitable for social worship.

Some think it an objection to using this prayer, that it is not expressly offered in the name of Jesus Christ. But we should consider that praying in the name of Jesus, consists not so much in mentioning his name, as in the object of the understanding, and purpose of the heart. When we pray in his very words, and use them because they are his words, and in obedience to his direction, trusting only in his merits, in the highest sense we offer all in the name of Christ. We honour him as our Prophet, who has taught us to pray. We honour him as our Priest, looking unto God through him; and we honour him as our King, using this prayer in obedience to his command. The first words, " Our Father," imply that we ask in Christ's name; because it is only through him, the only Son of God, and as his brethren, that we can, and that we presume to "cry Abba;" to address God as our Father. It is evident that we ought sometimes to use these very words, and always to keep them in view, as a guide and pattern to our devotions.

The object of this discourse, is a practical exposition of the Lord's Prayer. As in using these words, we ought especially to "pray with the understanding;" and, as it contains much meaning in few words, it is a matter of very essential concern, that we give frequent and very careful attention to

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