Thus do we here pray and wish in respect to all men, and to all creatures capable of thus sanctifying God's name; but more particularly we pray for ourselves, that God would grant to us, that we, by our religious and righteous conversation, may bring honour to his name; so that men seeing our good Matt. v. 16. works may glorify our Father which is in heaven. (Vouchsafe, saith he, that we may live so purely, Karažinov, that all men by us may glorify thee: so descants St. Chrysostom.)

Thy kingdom come.

1 Pet.ii.12.

φησίν, οὕτως καθαρῶς, ὡς δι' ἡμῶν ἅπαντας σε δοξάζειν, &c. Chrys. in

Matt. vi.

Matt. xvi.

THIS petition, or devout wish, being subordinate to the former, as expressing a main particular of that, which is there generally desired, (we here to the glory of God desiring a successful and speedy propagation of true religion,) seems, in its direct and immediate sense, to respect the state of things in that time, more especially befitting our Lord's disciples then, when the kingdom of God (that is, the state of religion under the evangelical dispensation) was coming and approaching; (according to that of our Saviour in St. Luke; I say unto you of a truth, Luke ix. 27. there be some of you standing here that shall not 28. iii. 2. taste death, till they see the kingdom of God;) whence it did become them in zeal to God's glory, and charity for men's salvation, to desire that Christianity might soon effectually be propagated over the world, being generally entertained by men with due faith and obedience; that is, that all men willingly might acknowledge God as their Lord and Maker, worshipping and serving him in truth; that they might receive his blessed Son Jesus Christ as their King and Saviour, heartily embracing his doctrine,

and humbly submitting to his laws: to which purMat. ix. 38. pose our Lord enjoins his disciples to pray, that the Lord of the harvest would send labourers into his

1.

harvest; and St. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to 2 Thess. iii. pray, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified. And in parity of reason, upon the same grounds, we are concerned, and obliged to desire, that Christian religion may be settled and confirmed; may grow and be increased; may prosper and flourish in the world; that God's authority may, to the largest extension of place, to the highest intention of degree, universally and perfectly, be maintained and promoted, both in external profession and real effect; the minds of all men being subdued to the obedience of faith; and avowing the subjection due to him; and truly yielding obedience to all his most just and holy laws. Thus should we pray that God's kingdom may come; particularly desiring that it may so come into our own hearts; humbly imploring his grace, that he thereby would rule in our hearts, quelling in them all exorbitant passions and vicious desires, protecting them from all spiritual enemies, disposing them to an entire subjection to his will, and a willing compliance with all his commandLuke xvii. ments: a for this is the kingdom of God, which, as Rom. xiv. our Lord telleth us, is within us; the which doth

21.

17.

not, as St. Paul teacheth us, consist in meat and drink, (in any outward formal performances,) but in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; that is, in obedience to God's will, and in the comMat. vi. 33. fortable consequences thereof: this is the kingdom

a

Τυραννούμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ σώματος παθημάτων, καὶ μυρίας πειρασμῶν δεχόμενοι προσβολὰς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χρήζομεν βασιλείας, ἵνα μὴ βασιλεύσῃ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ σώματι ἡμῶν, &c. Chrys.

of God, which we are enjoined, before any worldly accommodations, first to seek.

Thy Will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven.

THIS sentence is likewise complicated of praise, good desire, and petition; for we thereby first do acknowledge the wisdom, justice, and goodness of God, in all resolutions of his will and dispensations of his providence.

1. We profess our approbation of all God's counsels, our complacence and satisfaction in all his proceedings, our cheerful submission and consent to all his pleasure; joining our suffrage, and saying in harmony with that blessed choir in the Revelation, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Rev. xv. 3. Almighty; just and true are thy ways, O thou King of Saints. We disclaim our own judgments and conceits, we renounce our own desires and designs, so far as they appear inconsistent with the determinations of God's wisdom, or discordant with his pleasure; saying after our Lord, Let not my will, Luke xxii. but thine be done.

42.

2. We do also express our desire, that as in heaven all things with a free and undisturbed course do pass according to God's will and good-liking, every intimation of his pleasure finding there a most entire and ready compliance from those perfectly loyal and pious spirits, (those ministers of his, that do his plea- Ps. ciii. 20. sure, as the Psalmist calls them,) so that here on earth the gracious designs of God may be accomplished without opposition or rub; that none should presume, as the Pharisees and lawyers are said to do, Luke vii. ἀθετεῖν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, to disappoint or defeat

30.

God's counsel; άwbeiσlα, to thrust away or repulse Actsxiii.46. God's word, as the Jews did in the Acts; to resist, provoke, or defy God by obstinate disobedience, as many are said to do in the scriptures; but that every where a free, humble, hearty, and full obedience be rendered to his commands.

21.

3. We do also pray, that God would grant us the grace willingly to perform whatever he requires of Heb. xiii. us, (perfecting us, as the apostle speaketh, in every good work to do his will, and working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight,) contentedly to Phil. iv. 11. bear whatever he layeth upon us; that God would bestow upon us a perfect resignation of our wills unto his will; a cheerful acquiescence in that state and station wherein he hath placed us; a submiss patience in all adversities, whereinto he disposeth us to fall; a constant readiness with satisfaction and thankfulness (without reluctancy or repining) to receive whatever cometh from his will, whether grateful or distasteful to our present sense; acknowledging his wisdom, his goodness, his justice in all his deal1 Sam. iii. ings towards us; heartily saying with good Eli, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good;

18.

19.

2 Sam. xv.

26.

Job ii. 10. i. 21.

Ps. xxxvii.

gave,

2 Kings xx. with Hezekiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken; with David, Behold, here I am; let him do to me as seemeth good to him; with Job, Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? and, The Lord 5. Iv. 22. and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord: yea, it were well, if we could, after the heathen philosopher, upon all occasions Ench. 38. with our hearts say, εἰ ταύτῃ Θεῷ φίλον, ταύτῃ γενέσθω· If God will have it so, so let it be if we could observe those rules and precepts, which even the phi

Epict.

Plat.

Criton.

losophers so much inculcate; to commit all our affairs to God, to love and embrace (hug) all events; to follow, and to accompany God; to yield, deliver, and resign ourselves up to him; (Deo se præbere, dedere, tradere, &c.) and the like.

Give us this Day our daily Bread.

σιον, τουτέστ τιν ἐπὶ οὐσίαν τοῦ

I SHALL not stand to criticise upon the hard word here used, translated daily; I only say, that of two senses offering themselves, both are probable, and by good authority countenanced; both are proper and suitable to the matter or nature of the thing: according to one, we pray for the bread τοῦ ἐπιόντος, Αρτον ἐπιού of the time to come, or of that future life, which it shall please God to allow us; according to the other, we request bread ἐπὶ τὸ εἶναι, which is necessary for βαίνοντα, our being, and the preservation of our lives; joining a Tauboth together, (which is more sure and safe,) we.Chrys. pray for a competent provision toward the maintenance of our life hereafter, during our appointed time that for the sense: upon the petition itself we observe,

1. That after we have rendered our due tribute of praise and respect unto God, we are allowed and directed to request of him good things for ourselves; beginning, as nature prompteth, with the preservation of our beings and lives; whereby we become capable of receiving and enjoying other good things;

b Τὸ ὑπόλοιπον τοῦ βίου διέξελθε, ὡς Θεοῖς ἐπιτετροφὼς τὰ σεαυτοῦ πάντα, &c. Ant. iv. 31. 'Aonalóμevos tà ovμßaíverra. Ant. iii. 4, 16. ii. 17. X. JI. xii. I. Ant. vii. 31. x. 11. Sen. De Or. Sap. 32. Ego secundum naturam vivo, si totum me illi dedo. Optimum est Deum, quo auctore cuncta proveniunt sine murmuratione comitari, &c.—hic est inagnus animus, qui se Deo tradidit37, 54, 71, &c. De Prov. 5.

Sen. Ep.

καὶ συγκρο

TNY δυνά

tom.v. 187.