may not be guilty of much-speaking: for there is a compendious way of speaking, to speak much in a little; and there is a babbling way of speaking, when, by many tedious ambages and long impertinencies, men pour out a sea of words, and scarce one drop of sense or matter.

Now it is this last way of speaking unto God, which our Saviour here condemns. And condemns it justly: for it shews either folly or irreverence. Folly, in that it is a sign we do not sufficiently consider what we ask: Irreverence, in that it is a sign we do not consider of whom we ask. And such men are rather to be esteemed talkative, than devout.

But when a man's soul is full fraught with matter (of which, if he duly weighs either his spiritual wants or his temporal sorrows and afflictions, he can never be unfurnished) to pour out his soul, and with a torrent of holy rhetorick lay open his case before God, begging seasonable supplies in suitable expressions, certainly he cannot fall under the reproof of muchspeaking, although he may speak much and long: for such an one hath much to say; and, whilst matter and affections last, let his prayer be an hour long, yea a day long, yea an eternity long, as our praises shall be in heaven, he is not to be censured for a babbler, but hath still spoken much in a little.

It is true, the Wise Man hath commanded, that our words be few in our addresses to God: Eccl. v. 2: and he gives a most forcible reason; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. His Infinite Majesty should, therefore, over-awe thee from using any rash and vain loquacity. But yet this makes not against long prayers for many words may be but a few to express the sentiments of our souls; and none can be too many, while the heart keeps pace with the tongue, and every petition is filled with matter and winged with affections.

And, whereas our Saviour condemns the Pharisees, who devoured widows' houses, and for a pretence made long prayers: Mat. xxiii. 14. yet, certain it is, that it was not their long prayers that he condemns, but their pretence and hypocrisy. Thus much I thought fit to observe from the context.

Our Saviour, having thus cautioned his Disciples against the sins of the Pharisees and Heathens in their prayers, comes, in the words I have read, to instruct them how to pray. After this manner, therefore, pray ye, Our Father, &c.

Some, taking advantage from these words, deny this to be used as a prayer itself; but only as a model and platform, to direct us how to pray.

But, if we consult, not only the practice of the Church of Christ in all ages, but the Scripture itself, we shall find it to be both the one and the other: for it is our Saviour's express injunction, Luke xi. 2. When yẻ pray, say; and what should they say, but the words immediately following, Our Father, which art in heaven, &c? One Evangelist says, pray after this manner: the other saith, when ye pray, say: from both which, compared together, it is easy to collect, that it is both a pattern for us to form our prayers by, and that it is a prayer itself, which our Saviour, in condescension to our infirmities, hath framed for us; putting words into our mouths, to beg of God those blessings, which, through his most prevalent intercession, shall not be denied us.

And, indeed, of all prayers, this is the most absolute and comprehensive; containing in it, not so many words as petitions: for there is not any one thing that we can pray for, according to the will of God, but it is summarily couched in this.

And yet this comprehensiveness, which is the admirable excellency of this prayer, hath been the only reason why some of late have scrupled and refused to use it; because they can not pierce through all that is signified by these substantial expressions. They think they should take God's Name in vain, in uttering that before him, which they do not understand the utmost extent of..

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But, if they did but consider their own prayers, the same doubts would still remain. When they pray that God's Name may be glorified, can they comprehend in that short time, while they are uttering those words, the infinite latitude of that request? Is it unlawful, at the close of our prayers, to de sire that God would give us all good things, which we have not mentioned before him? And yet who of us can conceive how large an extent that request may have? May we not say, Amen, and seal up our prayers with a So be it; though, while we are speaking it, we cannot presently recollect all that hath been mentioned before God in prayer?

And, for any to say, that the Lord's Prayer is a morsel too

big for their mouths, as some have done, I have always accounted it a most unworthy and unsavory speech. Certainly, Christ thought it not too big for his Disciples: whose capacities, at that time, were, possibly, none of the largest; as appears in many instances, particularly in the nature of Christ's Kingdom, which he taught them to pray that it might come, which they thought to be temporal and earthly. And those, who refuse the use of the Lord's Prayer as too big for them, would yet think themselves much wronged, if we should but suspect them as ignorant in that, and in many other points of Christian Doctrine, as the Disciples were when our Saviour instructed them thus to pray.

It being, therefore, as I hope, clear and evident, that we may often pray in these words, and that we must always pray after this manner; let us now proceed to consider the Prayer itself. In which there are these Four Parts.

I. The PREFACE, of INTRODUCTION, to it.

II. The PETITIONS, or REQUESTS, we present to God; in which the greatest part of it consists.

III. The DOXOLOGY, or PRAISE-GIVING: for praise is a necessary part of prayer.

IV. The CONCLUSION, or RATIFICATION of all, in the sealing particle, Amen.

I shall speak somewhat of these briefly, in the general; and, then, more particularly of each, as my text directs me.

FIRST. For the Introduction of Preface unto the prayer: and that is contained in these words, Our Father, which art in heaven.

This is used as a preparative to prayer. And what greater inducement can there be to dispose us into a holy awe and reverence of God, than to set before us the greatness and glory of that Majesty, before whom we prostrate ourselves?

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And, therefore, we find that the Saints in Scripturé, in all their approaches to the Throne of Grace, were wont, in the be ginning of their prayers, to affect and over-awe their hearts with the humble mention of God's glorious attributes. Thus Solomon: 1 Kings viii. 23. O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like unto thee, in heaven above or in the earth beneath; who

keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants. Thus Jehoshaphat: 2 Chron. xx. 6. O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathens? And in thy hand is there not power and might? So Hezekiah: 2 Kings xix. 15. O Lord God of Israel, who dwellest between the cherubims, thou art God, even thou alone, who hast made heaven and earth. And so the Prophet: Jer. xxxii. 17, 18, 19. Ah Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth, by thy great power and stretched-out arm; and there is nothing too hard for thee. The Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of Hosts, is his name, great in counsel, and mighty in working. And thus our Saviour himself: Mat. xi. 25. I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth. And so the Apostle : Acts iv. 24. Lord, thou art God, that hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.

And, thus to consider seriously of and reverently to express the infinitely glorious attributes of God, is an excellent means to compose us into a holy fear and awe of God; such as becomes vile dust and ashes to be affected with, when it stands in the presence of its great Lord and Creator. Only here let us remember, that we dwell not so long upon the titles and attributes of God, nor run so much out into preface, as to forget our errand unto him.

SECONDLY. Next after the Preface, we have the Petitions following in their order. Of these, some reckon six, others seven: but which soever we take, the matter is not great. They may all be reduced under two general heads.

First, Such as respect God's glory.

Secondly, Such as respect ourselves and others. The three first respect God's glory; and the three or four last our own good and that either temporal or spiritual. Temporal, in begging at God's hands our daily bread: spiritual, in desiring both the pardon of and deliverance from sin.

And here again we may observe the admirable order and method of this prayer; in that our Saviour hath placed the petition, which refers to our temporal good, as it were in the very midst and centre of it, it being encompassed round about with petitions for heavenly and spiritual blessings. And this may intimate to us, that we are only to bait at the world, in our passage and journey to heaven; that we ought to begin

with spirituals and end with spirituals: but only to take up and refresh ourselves a little with our daily, bread in our way.

. THIRDLY. In the Doxology, or Praise, there are four things contained.

First, God's Sovereignty: Thine is the kingdom.

Secondly, God's Omnipotency: and the power.
Thirdly, God's Excellency and the glory.

Fourthly, The Eternity and Unchangeableness of them, and
of all God's other attributes, noted to us in that expression,
for ever.

FOURTHLY. Here is the ratifying particle, Amen, added as a seal to the whole prayer: and it importeth a desire to have that confirmed or granted, which we have prayed for.

And thus Benaiah, when he had received instructions from David concerning the establishing of Solomon in the kingdom, answereth thereto Amen; and explains it; 1 Kings i. 36. The Lord God of my lord the king say so too.

So that when we add this word, Amen, at the end and close of our prayers, it is as much as if we had said, The Lord God say so too; or the Lord grant these requests: for the proper signification of Amen, is, so be it, or so it is, or so it shall be: the former notes our desires; the latter, our confidence and assurance of being heard.

Now of all these four parts, of which this Prayer is composed, I shall speak in their order.

I. Let us consider the PREFACE, in these words, Our Father, which art in heaven.

And here God is described by two of his most eminent attributes, his Grace and Glory, his Goodness and his Greatness: by the one, in that he is styled, Our Father; by the other, in that he is said to be in heaven. And both these are most sweetly tempered together, to beget in us a holy mixture of filial boldness and aweful reverence, which are so necessary to the sanctifying of God's name in all our addresses to him.

We are commanded to come to the Throne of Grace with boldness: Heb. iv. 16: and, yet, to serve God acceptably, with reverence and with fear: Heb. xii. 28. Yea, and indeed the very calling of it a Throne of Grace, intimates both these