easily err, having our pattem before us 2d. Hereby mercies requested are obtained, for the apostle assures us, God will hear us, when we j)ray " according to his will," 1 John y. 14. And sure we pray accord- ing to his will, when we pray according to the ])attern he hath set us. So nnuih for the introduction to the Lord's prayer, "Af- ter this manner therefore pray ye."
II. The prayer itself, which consists of three parts: 1. A preface; 2. Petitions; 3. The conclusion.
First, The preface to the prayer: 1. " Our Father." 2. " Which art in heaven." To begin with the first words of the preface.
" Our Father." Father is sometimes ta- ken personally, John xiv. 28., " My Father is greater than I :" but Father in the text is taken essentially for the whole Deity. This title, Father, teacheth us to whom we must address ourselves in prayer ; to God alone. Here is no such thing in the Lord's prayer, as, " O ye saints or angels that are in lieaven, hear us !" but, " Our Father which art in heaven."
Quest. In ivhat order must we direct our prayers to God? Here is only the Father named : may not ice direct our prayers to the Son, and Holy Ghost ?
/Ins. Though the Father only be named in the Lord's prayer, yet the other two Persons are not hereby excluded ; the Fa- ther is mentioned because he is first in or- der ; but the Son and Holy Ghost are in- cluded, because they are the same in es- sence. As all the three Persons subsist in one Godhead : so, in our prayers, though we name hut one Person, we must pray to all. To come then more .closely to the first words of the preface, " Our Father." Princes on earth give themselves titles cx-
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their greatness, as
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Mighty ;" (lod might have done so, and expressed himself thus, " Our King of glo- ry, our Judge:" but he gives himself ano- ther title, ' Our Father,' an expression of love and condescension. God, that he might encourage us to pray to him, represents himself under this sweet notion of a Father, " Our Father,' — Dulce nomen Patris. The name Jehovah carries majesty in it, the uame of Father carries mercy in it.
Quest. 1. In vhat sense is God a Father ?
Ans. 1. By creation ; it is he that hatli made us, Acts xvii. 28., " We are also his offspring;" Mai. ii. 10., "Have we not all one Father ?" Hath not one God created us ? But there is little comfort in this ; foi so God is Father to the devils by creation , but he that made them will not save them.
A. 2. God is a Father by election, hav- ing chosen a certain number to be his chil- dren, whom he will entail heaven upon, Eph. i. 4., " He hath chosen us in liim."
A. 3. God is a Father by special grace ; he consecrates the elect by his Spirit, and infuseth a supernatural principle of holi- ness, therefore they are said to be born of God, 1 John iii. 9. Such onlv as are sanc- tified can say, ' Our Father which art in heaven.'
Quest. 1. What is the difference between God being the Father of Christ, and the Fa- ther of the elect ?
Ans. God is the Father of Christ in a more glorious transcendent manner. Christ hath the primogeniture; he is the eldest Son, a Son by eternal generation, Prov viii. 23., " I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." Isa. liii. 8., " Who shall declare his genera- tion ?" Christ is a son to the Father ; yet so as he is of the same nature with the Fa- ther, having all the incommunicable pro- perties of the Godhead belonging to him : but we are sons of God by adoption and grace, Gal. iv. 5., " That we might receive the adoption of sons."
Quest. 2. What is that ivhich makes God our Father ?
Ans. Faitli : Gal. iii. 26., " Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Je- sus." An unbeliever may call God his Creator, and his Judge, but not his Father. Faith doth legitimate us, and make us o. the blood-royal of heaven. " Ye are the children of God by faith." Baptism makes us church-members, but faith makes us chil- dren : without faith the devil can show as good a coat of arms as we.
Quest. 3. How doth faith make God to be our Father ?
Ans. As faith is an uniting grace ; by faith we have coalition and union with Christ, and so the kindred comes in ; being united to Christ, the natural Son, we b»
OF THE PREFACE TO THE LORD'S PRAYER.
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come adopted sons. God is the Fatlier of Christ ; faith makes us Christ's hrctlncn, Heh. ii. 11., and so God comes to he our Fatlier.
Quest. .5. IVherein doth it appear that God is the best Father ?
Ans. 1. In that he is most ancient, Dan. vii. 9., " The Ancient of days did sit." A ficfurative representation of God wlio was before all time, this may cause vene- ration.