THE LORD'S PRAYER.

SERMON XVIII.

SERM.

XVIII.

1 Cor. 14.

40.

Mat. 3. 15.

For Thine is the Kingdom, Power, and Glory, for ever and ever.

ST. PAUL willeth that "all things" in the Church "be done orderly," which no doubt he took from Christ, Whose answer to John the Baptist was, Sic enim decet, "for so it becometh," whereby we see that both Christ and His Apostles have always observed a decorum or decency in all things.

So touching prayer, our Saviour Christ, to shew that it is an indecent thing for any having done his petitions to break off suddenly, or to begin his prayer without any introduction, hath not only made an entrance to His prayer wherein He acknowledged God's goodness, but also addeth a conclusion. wherein He confesseth His "Kingdom, Power, and Glory," which the Fathers call dogoλoyía, and He took the pattern of this conclusion out of the Old Testament, where King David 1 Chron.29. acknowledgeth, "Thine, O Lord, is greatness, power, and glory, and victory, and Thine is the Kingdom."

11.

In the beginning we heard that all prayer and invocation is nothing else but a testimony and confession. The petitions that are severally made in this prayer are, confession of our weakness, want, need, and unableness to do any thing that may please God. The beginning and end of it are, an acknowledgment of God's riches, power, and goodness, whereby He is inclinod to supply our wants, for that He is not only willing as a Father but able as a King; so that whatsoever prayer we make, whether Techinah or Tehillah, whether we pray that we may receive some good thing of God, or praise Him for good received, it is a confession, and

both these confessions make for God's glory; not only to him that was to make confession of his sin, it was said, Da gloriam

Deo, "Give God the glory," but the blind man that had Josh. 7.19. received a benefit by the recovery of his sight was said “to Joh. 9. 24. give glory to God."

The beginning of this prayer was a confession of God's goodness; the end, of IIis power, for unto doing of good is required not only willingness but power and ability.

To shew that God is willing, we are taught to call upon Him by the name of "Father," for any father is willing to do his child good; but with this willingness there must concur an ability to do good, which howsoever it be wanting in earthly fathers, yet it is not wanting in our heavenly Father; for whereas nothing doth more express power than the name of a king, Christ acknowledgeth God to be such a Father as hath Kingdom, Power, and Glory," and therefore is able to do us whatsoever good He will. So God Himself affirmeth of Himself, "I am a great King;" He is called "King of Kings and Mal. 1. 14. Lord of Lords;" so that if we will pray to God the Father, we have cause to conceive hope that He will hear our petitions and help us, because He is not only willing as a Father, but able as a mighty, glorious, and powerful Prince.

Secondly, if to God the Son, His dying for us doth assure us of His good will and readiness to do us good; and His rising again from the dead, when He hath broken the iron bars, doth assure us of His power.

Rev. 19. 16.

Thirdly, if to the Holy Ghost, we shall not need to doubt of His willingness, for He is the essential love of God "which Rom. 5. 5. is shed in our hearts." Besides, He is the Spirit operative, by Whom God worketh all good things in the hearts of His people, and therefore able to do whatsoever good for us; and those two, to wit, the assurance of God's goodness and power, are the two parts of "the anchor" of our hope, and they give Heb. 6. 18, us not only audaciam petendi but also fiduciam impetrandi, 'not only boldness to ask but also assurance to obtain.'

To make requests in our own behalf, and acknowledgment to God of His love and power, are both confessions, but the principal is the acknowledgment of His goodness and Kingdom and power; for to make request to God for good things that we want concerns men, but to confess God's power and

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XVIII.

SER M. goodness is that wherein the heavenly Angels are occupied ; they feel no want of any good thing, and therefore they have no need to make petition to God as we on earth, and therefore all the confession that they make is of God's goodness and power, whereof they cry continually, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, the earth is full of Ilis glory." The same is done by the Rev. 7. 12. saints in heaven: "Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanks, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for evermore."

Isa. 6. 3.

Whereby we learn that we, concerning whom Christ saith, Lu. 20. 36. "that we shall be" ioáyyeλo, "equal or like to the Angels," ought while we live on earth not to speak only with the tongue of men but of Angels, not only to confess our own wants and to crave a supply from God, but to acknowledge God's riches, goodness, and power.

Again, the petitions that we make for ourselves is a taking; but the sanctification of His name, by ascribing "Kingdom, Power, and Glory" unto God, is a giving, and therefore as the Acts 20.35. Apostle saith, "It is a more blessed thing to give than to receive," so the confession of God's goodness and power is a better confession than that which we make of our own weakness and poverty, and this is the only thing which God receives from us for the manifold benefits that we receive from Him.

Neither is this confession and acknowledgment left to our own choice as a thing indifferent, but we must account of it as of a necessary duty which may in no wise be omitted, seeing God enters into covenant that He will hear us and deliver us Ps. 50. 15. out of trouble "when we call upon Him." Therefore God challengeth this a duty to Himself by His servants," Ascribe unto the Lord worship and strength, give unto the Lord the Ps. 86. 9. glory due unto His name." "All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship Thee, and glorify Thy name."

[Ps. 29. i, 2.]

Lu. 17.

18, 19.

Therefore our Saviour commends the Samaritan because he returned to give glory to God for the benefit received, wherein He blames the other nine that being cleansed of their leprosy were not thankful to God in that behalf. For God for this cause doth hear our prayers and grant our petitions, that we should glorify and honour His name.

But this is not all that we are to consider in these words, for they are not only δοξολογία but αἰτιολογία, not only an astipulation but an allegation, wherein as we acknowledge

God's goodness and power That hath heard and granted our requests, so we allege reasons why He should not only hear us but also relieve and help us with those things that we crave for at IIis hands; we do not only say, Hear our petitions, for so shalt Thou shew Thyself to be a King, a mighty and glorious King, and we for our parts shall acknowledge the same; but we use this confession as a reason why our former requests are to be granted, for it is in effect as much as if we should say, Forgive Thou our sins, Deliver Thou us from evil; Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; "For Kingdom, Power, and Glory is Thinc," and not ours.

The reason why we would have our requests granted, is drawn from God Himself in two respects: first, that we may by this humble confession make ourselves capable of the graces of God, which do not descend to any but those that are of an humble spirit, "For He giveth grace to the 1 Pet. 5. 5.

humble."

If we would have our desires granted because it is the nature of God to be good and gracious, to be of power to do what He will for the good of His people, we must desire Him

to be gracious propter Semet Ipsum, "for His own sake;" our Isa. 43. 25. motive unto God must be, "For Thy loving mercy and Thy Ps. 115. 1. truth's sake." "Help us for the glory of Thy name, deliver us, be Ps. 79. 9. merciful unto our sins for Thy name's sake." By these motives we must provoke and stir up God to hear us. This is the difference that is betwixt the prayers of profane men and those that are sanctified. Heathen and profane men refer all to their own glory: so saith Nebuchadnezzar, "Is not this great Dan. 4. 30. Babel which I have built by my great power, and for the honour of my majesty?" Such a man thinketh himself to be absolute lord, and will say, "Who is the Lord over us?" There- Ps. 12. 4. fore are they called the sons of Belial. But the Patriarchs that were sanctified, frame their prayers otherwise: Jacob acknowledged, "I am not worthy of the least of Thy mercies;" Gen.32.10. by which humility he made himself capable of mercy. "To Dan. 9. 8. us belongeth shame," saith Daniel, "but to Thee belongeth compassion and forgiveness, though we have offended." So Christ Himself in this place doth teach His disciples to pray that God will give them the things they desire, not for any thing in themselves, but for His name's sake: "For Thine is

SERM the Kingdom, Power, and Glory;" whereby we perceive that humility is the means to obtain at God's hands our suits.

XVIII.

[Jer. 31. 33.]

The other respect is in regard of God, for He maketh His covenant with us "that He will be our God, and we His people." And when the Prophet stirreth up the faithful "to worship the Lord, and to fall down before the Lord our Ps.96. 6, 7. Maker," he addeth this as a reason, "For He is the Lord our God, and we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture." Wherefore one saith, Commemoratio est quædam necessitas exaudiendi nos, quia nos Ipsius sumus, Ipse noster est ; 'It is a necessary motive to God to hear us, because we are His and He ours.'

Therefore in all the prayers and psalms which the saints of God make, they ground their petitions upon this: in regard rs. 18.8. of God the Father, Who is the Creator, they say, We are

Thy workmanship created by Thee; therefore "despise not Gen. 1. 26. the works of Thy own hands." Besides, we are the "likeness" of God's "image;" therefore suffer not Thine own image to be defaced in us, but repair it.

Secondly, in regard of Christ, we are the price of Christ's 1 Cor. 6.20. blood. Empti estis pretio, "Ye are bought with a price; therefore suffer not so great a price to be lost, but deliver us and save us. Again, we carry His name, for as He is Christ, so we are of Him called Christians. Seeing therefore Dan. 9. 19. that "Thy name is called upon us," be gracious to us, and grant our request.

Thirdly, in respect of the Holy Spirit, the breath of His Gen. 2.7. Spirit is in our nostrils, which is "the breath of life" which God breathed in us at our creation. Again, the same Spirit is to

us a Holy Spirit, and sanctifieth us; we are not only vagina Spiritûs viventis, the sheaths of the living Spirit,' but tem1 Cor.6.19. pla Spiritus Sancti, "the temples of the Holy Spirit." And therefore for His sake we are to entreat Him to be gracious

to us.

We are God's kingdom, and therefore it belongeth to Him to seek our good. All the world is His Kingdom by right of inheritance, but we that are His Church are His Kingdom

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1 Pet. 2. 9. by right of purchase; we are Xaòs eis Teρiπоinow," a people peculiar," or gotten by purchase; He hath redeemed us to be Tit. 2. 14. Xaos Teplovσios, "a peculiar people," and the price whereby