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manifold transgressions against His holy will and honour. It is peculiarly a Christian grace to forgive and love our enemies; and we pray for this grace, that we may be enabled to act according to the precept of our Saviour, and that we may thus obtain a title to forgiveness. We have before our eyes, whilst making this petition, the boundless love of God towards us, who has assured us of the pardon of all our sins, upon sincere repentance and faith in the Redeemer, and the no less wonderful love of the Redeemer who purchased that pardon with his blood, for a world at enmity with God through wicked works. We have also before us the awful threat, that if we forgive not, neither shall we be forgiven; for if we be deficient in affording this unequivocal proof of the sincerity of our repentance, and of the stedfastness of our faith, we cannot expect that remission of sins, which is only granted upon these conditions.

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§ 12. In the sixth petition we do not pray, that God would not actually lead us into temptation, for God tempteth no man; nor that he would not permit us to fall into any temptation; but we pray, that he would not suffer us to fall into violent, extraordinary, and perilous temptations, too great for our strengthso to be tempted by our spiritual adversaries, as that we almost inevitably shall fall under their power, -that he would grant us his support and grace under these assaults, which are necessary to our present state of probation, and which we may incur, through our own evil propensities or negligence, and that he will be pleased to convert those trials and temptations, with which he may see good to prove and chas

ten us, to our profit and salvation, and his own glory.

13. The seventh petition in which we pray, that God will deliver us from evil, is closely connected with the sixth, inasmuch as having besought the Almighty that we may not be tried beyond our strength, we here pray, that if through our weakness we do through temptation fall into sin, he will make a way to escape, that we may not be bound by Satan, -the evil one, the tempter from the beginning,-but may speedily be delivered from spiritual thraldom, and restored to the freedom of the sons of God.

In a secondary sense we pray, to be delivered from temporal adversity and affliction, from every calamity and suffering, which may not be necessary to our soul's health-but chiefly from the overflowing source of all evil, both corporeal and spiritual, from sin and the instigator of sin.

§ 14. The Doxology is a concluding acknowledgement, that we rely on the glorious attributes of God for the success of our petitions, and that our thanks and praises are most due for those we have already received, that as God is the fountain from whence all blessings flow, so he is the sole object of praise and exaltation. Of God is the kingdom, or right of sovereignty, which we pray may be speedily established in the hearts of all men; His is the power, to grant every thing that can be for our good;-His is the glory, to which all created things, whether in heaven or earth, must ultimately tend, and ought to be immediately directed, but especially those excellent gifts and graces which he mercifully accords to

the prayers of his children, who ask him according to his will;-and this Kingdom, this Power, and this transcendant Glory, are not transitory, but eternal,— not only to be confessed by mortals during the short term allotted them on earth, but to constitute the theme which shall chiefly occupy the tongues of blessed, immortal saints, through ages which shall never end.

These petitions are reiterated, and these praises are confirmed by the final word Amen, which declares assent to whatever has preceded, and gives to any words of adoration, though uttered by another per son, all the force and application which they would possess if articulated by ourselves.

From Scripture.

SECTION J.

Eccles. v. 1, 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty. to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few. Hos. xiv. 2. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. (See the Chapter on Prayer.) Matt. vi. 7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

SECTION II.

1 Kings viii. 27, 28, 29, 30. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded! Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to-day: That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there; that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make

toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest forgive. 2 Chron. vii. 15. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place. Psal. cxvi. 18, 19. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. Exod. xv. 1. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, I spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. Deut. xxi. 6, 7, 8. And all the elders of that city that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: And they shall answer and say, our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. 1 Chron. xvi. 7. Then on that day David delivered first this psalm, to thank the Lord, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren. 2 Chron. xxix. 30. Moreover, Hezekiah the king, and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises unto the Lord, with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. Matt. xviii. 19, 20. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Luke iv. 16. And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. Acts iii. 1. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple, at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

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