Kin against God ? It is the part of tlic lio- nour a son gives to a Father, he fears to displease him. We sliow our lionour to our hcaver.ly Father, by doing all wc carj to exalt God, and make his excellencies Khine forth : though we cannot lift up God higher in heaven, yet we may lift him high- er in our hearts, and in the esteem of otl)- ers, AVIien we speak well of God, set forth his renown, disj)lay the trophies of his good- ness,— when we ascribe the glory of all we do to God, — when we are the trumpeters of God's praise, — this is an honouring our Father in heaven, and a certain sign of a childlike heart, Ps. 1. 23., " Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me."
A. 2. We may know God is our Father, by our resembling of him ; the child is his father's picture, Judg. viii. 18., " Each one resembled the children of a king :" every chikl of God resembles the king of heaven. Herein God's adopting children and man's differ : a man adopts one for his son and heir, that doth not at all resemble him, but whosoever God adopts for his child, is like him ; he not only bears his heavenly Fa- ther's name, but image, Col iii. 10., "And have put on the new man, which is renew- ed after the image of him that created him." He who hath God for his Father, resembles God in holiness ; holiness is the glory of the Godhead, Exod. xv. 11. The holiness of God is the intrinsic purity of his essence. He who hath God for his father, partakes of the divine nature ; though not of the divine essence, yet of the divine likeness ; as the seal sets its print and likeness upon the wax, so he who hath God for his Father, liath the print and effigies of his holiness stamped upon him, Ps. cvi. 16., " Aaron the saint of the Lord." AVicked men de- sire to be like God hereafter in glory, but do not affect to be like him heic in grace ; Llicy give it out to the world that (Jod is their Father, yet have nothing of God to be t;een in them ; they are unclean ; they not only want his image, but hate it.
A. 3. We may know God is our Father, by having his Spirit in us : 1*^ By having the intercession of the Spirit ; it is a spirit of prayer. Gal. iv. (>., " Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
Prayer is the soul's breathing itself into tho bosom of its heaveidy Father : none of God's children are born dumb. Iwpitt Spiritus Srmctus organum snum, ei lanqumn pila chor- darnm tamjit Spirirtus Dei rorda sanc/orurn^ Prosper. Acts ix. 11., " Behold, he pray- eth." But it is not every pniyer evidenc- eth God's Spirit in us. Such as have no grace ma"y excel in gifts, and affect the hearts of others in prayer, when their own hearts arc not affected ; as the lute makes a sweet sound in the cars of others, hut itself is not sensible. How therefore shall wc knoAV our prayers arc indited by God's Spi- rit, and so he is our Father ?
1. When they are not only vocal, hut mental ; when there are not only gifts hut groans, Rom. viii, 26. The best music is in concert ; the best prayer is when the heart and tongue join together in concert.
2. Wlien they are zealous and fervent, James v. 16., " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." The eyes melt in prayer, the heart burns. Fer- vency is to prayer, as fire to the incense ; it makes it ascend to heaven as a sweet per- fume.
3. When prayer hath faith sprinkled iti it; prayer is the key of heaven, and faifli i< the hand that turns it, Rom. viii. 1.5., " We cry, Abba, Father !" ' We cry,' there is fer- vency in prayer; " Abba, Fatlier," there is faith. Those prayers suffer sliijiwri cl<, which dash upon the rock of u!:]>(!i(>f. Thus we may know God is our Father by having his Spirit praying in us ; as On ist intercedes above, so the Spirit intercedes within. l.v^. By having the renewing of the Spirit, which is nothing else but rege- neration, which is called a being born of the Spirit, John iii. 5. This regenerating work of the Spirit is a transformation, or change of nature, Rom. xii. 2., " Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." He who is born of God, hath a new heart, new, not for substance, but for qualities. The strings of a vi<d may be the same, hut the tune is altered. ]3cfore this regenera- tion, there are spiritual pangs, much heart- breaking for sin. Regeneration is called a circumcision of the heart, Col. ii. 1 L In circumcision there was a i)ain in the flesh so in this spiritual circumcision there is h
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OF THE PREFACE TO THE LORD'S PRAYER.