shalt thou, who art but an adopted son, no otherwise than the meanest saint, be ashamed of the relation? especially considering there is no eldership, nor right of first-born in the family; for they are all first-born, all kings and heirs with Christ Jesus himself.

(2) If thou art mean and low in the world, this should teachi thee to be well content with thy present state and condition; for God is thy Father, and a Father to thee equally with the greatest.

There is not the highest person upon earth, but, if he belong to God, prefers that relation above all his other titles: if he can write Prince, King, or Emperor, and can afterwards subjoin a Child of God, all his other titles stand but for a cypher with him. This, O Christian, how mean, how despised soever thou art, this is thy privilege; and a privilege it is that equals thee with David, with Solomon, and with all the great ones of the earth, that ever laid down their diadems and sceptres at the feet of God. What says the Apostle? Gal. iii. 28. There is neither bond nor free, but all are one in Christ Jesus.

(3) Since when we pray we must say, Our Father, this teacheth us, to interest one another in our prayers.

Our Father would not have us selfish, so much as in our prayers; but, in the very entrance into them, we are put in mind of the communion of saints, to beg those blessings for all that belong to God, which we ask for ourselves. For, as Christ hath made us all Kings, so he hath made all Priests to God and his Father: now the office of a priest is intercession; and, therefore, when we go to God, we should bear upon our breasts the name of our brethren, and present them before God, through the intercession and mediation of Jesus Christ our great HighPriest, that both we and they may be accepted of God.

And this we ought to do, both in public and private. It is true, in our secret prayers we may pray particularly for ourselves; and we have frequent instances for it in Scripture: yet ought we, in every prayer that we make to God, to be mindful of the state and condition of our brethren. Yea, and it is very lawful and commendable, even in secret between God and our own souls, in those cases that are common to us with the rest of God's saints and people, to join them in our prayers; and, although we are all alone, yet to say Our Father: for we find Daniel praying, Dan. ix. 17. O our God, when yet he was in se

cret; O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant. And this is to shew that near and entire communion, which ought to be between all the saints; praying with and praying for all the members of the body of Jesus Christ, and esteeming their in

terest as our own.

(4) This shews us likewise the high privilege of the children of God, that they have a stock of prayers going to heaven for them, from all their fellow-saints throughout the world; yea, from those whom they never knew, whom they never heard of, yet are they continually appearing before the Throne of Grace on their behalf.

And thou, who wouldst think it a great favour if thou wert interested in the prayers of some who are mighty in prayer, and whom thou hast begged to recommend thy condition to God, mayest here have abundant comfort, in that thou art nearly concerned and interested in all the prayers that are put up to God throughout the whole world, by all those that are most prevalent at the Throne of Grace: yea, which is more, thou hast an interest in all the prayers, that have ever been preferred to heaven by all the saints from the beginning of the world unto this very day; for not only this present Church, but the Church in all ages is the body of Christ, and every member of it imitates, the pattern of Christ's intercession: John xvii. 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for all those that shall believe in me. The difference is, that Christ's intercession was authoritative; theirs, only charitative.

And thus much shall suffice to be spoken concerning God's goodness and mercy, expressed in those words, Our Father.

ii. The next expression SETS FORTH HIS GLORY AND GREATNESS: which art in heaven.

"But is not God every where present? Doth he not fill heaven and earth, and all things? Yea, is it not said, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? How then are our prayers to be directed to God in heaven only, since he is as well on earth as in heaven? And were he only in heaven, and not every where present on earth, it would be in vain for us to pray, because our prayers could never reach his ears, nor arrive to his notice."

I answer, It is true, God is every where present; and all that

we think, we think in him; and all that we speak, we speak unto him he understands the silent motion of our lips, when we whisper a prayer to him in our closets; yea, the secret motions of our hearts, when we only think a prayer. Therefore, when our Saviour bids us direct our prayers to our Father in heaven, this doth not imply, that God is no where present, or that he no where hears prayer, but only in heaven.

But this expression is used,

1. Because Heaven is the most glorious place of God's residence, where he hath more especially established his Throne of Grace, and there sits upon it.

Now, because it is a most glorious and majestical thing to hear the suits and receive the petitions that are tendered to him; therefore the Scripture ascribes it to the most glorious and majestical place, and that is to heaven. And, therefore, we are commanded to pray to our Father which is in Heaven, to keep alive a due sense of his Majesty upon our hearts. He would not have us think it a mean and trivial thing to have our prayers heard; and, therefore, he represents himself to us arrayed in all his glory, and sitting upon his throne in the highest heavens; willing to be thought a God never more glorious, than when he is a God hearing prayer.

2. Our prayers are directed to our Father in Heaven, because, though he hears them wheresoever they are uttered, yet he no where hears them with acceptance but only in heaven.

And the reason is, because our prayers are acceptable, only as they are presented before God through the intercession of Christ. Now Christ performs his mediatory office only in heaven: for he performs it in both natures, as he is God and Man; and so he is only in heaven. And, therefore, we are still concerned to pray to our Father in Heaven. God, indeed, hears us upon earth; for there is not a word in our tongue, but, behold, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether: but this will not avail us, unless God hears our prayers a second time, as repeated over in the intercession of Jesus Christ, and perfumed with the much incense which he offers up with the prayers of all the saints.

Since then we are directed to pray to our Father, which is in Heaven, this,

(1) May inform us, that there is no circumstance of time or place, that can hinder us from praying.

For heaven is over thee, and open to thee, wheresoever thou

art. There is no clime so remote, which is not overspread with that pavilion: and thou art in all places equally near to heaven; and God is in it, sitting upon his Throne of Grace, to receive and answer thy requests, wheresoever thou offerest them up unto him. And, therefore, we find, in the Scripture, some praying in God's House of Prayer, some making their houses houses of prayer: St. Peter prayed on the house-top, when he fell into his trance; Isaac, in the open fields; our Saviour, on a mountain; Jonah, in a whale's belly; Abraham's servant, in his journey; and Asa, in the midst of a tumultuous and bloody battle. Yea, whatsoever thou art doing thou mayest pray, so long as heaven is over thee and God in it: whatsoever company thou art in, whatsoever employment thou art about, thou mayest still pray; for thy Father, that is in Heaven, still hears thee. He hears thy thoughts and thy desires, when either they are too big, or when it is not expedient, to articulate them into words.

Indeed, the voice in prayer is not always necessary; nay, sometimes it is not convenient: yea, it is never necessary, but only upon three accounts:

[1] As that, which God requires should be employed in his service: for this was a great end why it was given us, that therewith we might bless and praise God. With the tongue, saith the Apostle, we bless God, even the Father: Jam. iii. 9. Or,

[2] When, in secret, it may be a means to help to raise up our affections; keeping it still within the bounds of decency and privacy. Or,

[3] In our joining with others, it helps likewise to raise and quicken their affections.

Otherwise, were it not for these three reasons, the voice is no more necessary to make our wants and desires known unto God, than it is to make them known to our own hearts. For thy Father, which is in Heaven, is not certainly excluded from any part of the earth: he is with thee, and lays his ear to thy very heart, and hears the voice of thy thoughts when thy tongue is silent: and thou mayest, whatsoever work or business thou art doing, dart up a prayer and a winged desire unto him; which shall be as acceptable and effectual, as the more solemn performance of this duty at stated times.

(2) Is thy Father in Heaven? Thy prayers then should be made so as to pierce the heavens where God is.

But how can this be done, since the distance between heaven and us is so infinite?

This is not to be done by the intension of raising thy voice, but by the intension of raising thy zeal and spirit, for zeal and affection is a strong bow, that will shoot a petition through heaven itself. Let all thy petitions therefore be ardent, and carry fire in them; and this will cause them to ascend to the element of pure celestial fire, from whence thy breast was at first inflamed.

It is a most remarkable place, Exod. xiv. 15. When the Red Sea was before the Israelites, and the Egyptians pursuing them behind, and unpassable mountains on each side, the people murmuring, and Moses their captain and guide in an unextricable streight, we read not of any vocal prayer that Moses then put up; and yet God calls to him, Why criest thou unto me? A prayer it was, not so much as accented, not so much as whispered; and yet so strong and powerful, that it pierced heaven, and was louder in the ears of God than the voice of thunder.

And thus much shall suffice to be spoken concerning the Preface of this Prayer, Our Father which art in Heaven.

II. Let us now proceed unto the PETITIONS themselves: the first three of which relate unto God's Glory; the other, to our Temporal and Spiritual Good.

Of those, which relate to God's glory, the first desireth the advancement of this glory itself; Hallowed be thy Name: the second, the means of effecting it; Thy Kingdom come: the third, the manifestation of it; Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.

i. I begin with the FIRST of these, Hallowed be thy Name. In the explication of which, we shall enquire,

1. What is to be understood by the Name of God.

2. What it is to Hallow this name of God.

3. What is contained in this petition, and what we pray for when we say, Hallowed be thy Name. 1. What is meant by the Name of God ?

To this I answer, that the Name of God is any perfection ascribed to him, whereby he hath been pleased to make himself known to the sons of men. For names are given to this very