A. 4. We learn, from God's being in Iiea- ven, his omnisciency. " AH things ai-e naked, and opened to his eye," Hel), iv. 13. Men plot and contrive against the church ; but God is in heaven, and they do nothing but what our Father sees. If a man were on the top of a tower or theatre, he might thence see all the people below : God is in heaven, as in an high tower or theatre, and he sees all the transactions of men. The wicked make wounds in the backs of tlie righteous, and then pour in vinegar ; God writes down their cruelty, Exod. iii. 7., " 1 have surely seen the aftlictions of my peo- ple." God is in heaven, and he can thun- der out of heaven upon liis enemies, I's. xviii.13, 14., "The Lord also thundered in the heavens; yea, he sent out arrows, and scattered them, and he shot out light- mngs, and discomfited them."
A. 5. We learn from God's being in hea- ven, comfort for the children of God ; when they pray to their Father, the way to hea-
ve»i cannot be blocked up. One mav have a fatlier living in foreign parts-, but th<' way, both by sea and by land, may be so blocked up, that there is no coming to him ; but thou, saint of (iod, when thou prayest to thv Fa- ther, he is in heaven ; and though thou art ever so conlined, thou mayest have access to him. A prison cannot keep thee from thy («(>d ; the way to heaven can never be blocked up.
So I have done with t1)e word ' Father :' I shall next speak of the ])ronoun " Our, Father." In the first there is an appella- tion, " Father f' in the second, an ap])ropri- ation, " Our Father." Christ, by this word Our, would teach us thus much; " that in all our ])rayers to God, we should act faith." Our Father : ' Father,' denotes reverence ; ' Our Father,' denotes faith. In all our prayers to God we should exercise faith, " Our Father." Faith is that which bap- ti/eth prayer, and gives it a name ; it is cal- led ' the prayer of faith,' .Jam. v. 15. With- out faith, it is speaking;, not praying-. Faith is the breath of prayer ; ])rayer is dead un- less faith breathe in it. Faith is a necessary !-o(juisite in ])rayer. The oil of the sanctu- aiy was made uj) of several sweet spices, pure myrrh, cassia, cinnamon, Exod. xxx. 23. Faith is the chief spice, or ing-redient in prayer, wh".eh makes it go up to the Lord, as sweet incense, Jam. i. 6., " Let him ask in faith," Mat. xxi. 22., '• Whatso- ever ye shall ask in prayer, believing;, yc shall receive." Inroeo tc, Domine, qiumquom
hmguida el imbeciliajide, iamenjide, " Lord,
(ssiid Cruciger) I pray, though with a weak faith, yet witli faith." Prayer is the gun we shoot with, fervency is the fire that (\is- ehargeth it, and faith is the bullet Avhich pierceth the throne of grace. Prayer i.s the kev of heaven, faith is the hand that turns it ; pray in fiiith, ' Our Father.' Faith must take prayer by the liand, or there is no com- ing nigh to God ; prayer without fiiilh is unsuccessful. If a poor handy-craftsman, that lives by his labour, hath spoiled his tools that he cannot work, how shall lie subsist ? Prayer is the tool we work Miih, which procures all good for us : but unbe- lief spoils and blunts our ])rayers, and then we can get no blessijig from God ; a prayer that is faithless is fruitless. As Joseph
OF THE PREFACE TO THE LORD'S PRAYER.
403
said, " You sliall not see my face, unless \ou brinjr vour brotlior Bcinamin with you," Gen. xliii. 3., so prayer cannot see God's face, unless it bring its brother faith with it. Whift is said of Israel, " They could not enter in because of unbelief," Ileb. iii. 19., is as true of j)rayer, it cannot enter into heaven, because of unbelief. This makes prayer often suffer shipwreck, be- cause it daslieth upon the rock of unbelief. O sprinkle faith iu prayer ! We must say, < Our Father.'
Quest. I. JVhat doth praying in faith i?n-
pi.'/?
Aii.<^. Praying^ in faith implies the haviorr
of faitli ; the act implies the habit. To walk
implies a principle of life ; so to pray in faith
implies an habit of grace. None can pray
in faith but believers.
Quest. 2. JMutt is it to pray itj faith ?
Alls. 1. To ])ray in faith, is to ])ray for that which God hath promised; where there is no promise, we cannot pray in faith.
A. 2. To pray in faith, is to pray in Christ's meritorious name, John xiv. 13., " What- soever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do." To pray in Christ's name, is to pray in the hope of confidence iu Christ's merit. When we present Christ to God in prayer, — when we carry the Lamb slain in our arms, — when we say " Lord, we are sin- ners, but here is our surety, for Christ's sake be propitious," — this is coming to God in Christ's name, and this is to pray in faith.