1. The preface.
2. The petitions themselves.
3. The conclusion.
10 AN EXPOSITION OF [MaT. VI. 9.
In the preface we have a description of God, as always we shoukl begin prayer with awful thoughts of God. God is described partly from his goodness and mercy — Our Father; and partly from his greatness and majesty — zvhich art in heaven.
I. His goodness and mercy: Our Father ; where is set forth : —
1. The relation wherein God standeth to his people, in the word Father.
2. Their propriety and interest in that relation, wherein, not the particular interest of a single believer is asserted, My Father, but the genera] interest of all the elect in Christ, Our Father.
I shall waive all which may be said concerning prayer in general ; concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a form in prayer ; the disputes concerning the use of this form ; as also all the disputes con- cerning the object of prayer, which we learn from hence to be God alone. Surely prayer is a sacrifice, and belongeth only to God; it cannot be made to any other but to him, who knoweth all the prayers that are made in tlie world at the same time, and the hearts of all those that praj'. I will also waive what might be spoken concerning preparation before petition ; for here there is a preface before the prayer itself. Neither shall I speak concerning the necessity of con- ceiving right thoughts of God in prayer ; how we may conceive of his goodness, to beget a confidence ; of his majesty, to beget an awe and reverence.
That which I shall insist upon is, the notion and relation under which God is here expressed, which is that of Father — Our Father.
Observe, those that would pray aright must address themselves ta God as a father in Jesus Christ,
Hypocrites, at the last day, will cry, ' Lord, Lord ; ' but Christ hath taught us to say, ' Our Father.'
Here I shall : — I. Inquire in what sense God is a father.
II. What encouragements we have from thence in prayer, when we can take him up under this notion and appellation.
I. In what sense God is a father. This title may be given to God, either essentially, or with respect to personal relation.
1, Essentially ; and so it is common to all the persons in the God- head— Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; all three are God, and our Father. And thus, not only the first Person, but the second, is called ' the Everlasting Father : ' Isa. ix. 6. And the Holy Ghost, being author of our being, is called our Maker. But,
2. It may be ascribed to God personally. And so the first Person is called God the Father ; and that either with relation to Christ or to us.
[1.] With relation to Christ, as the Son of God. So the first Person is called the Father, as he is the fountain of the Deity, com- municating to and with him the divine essence : Ps. ii. 7, ' Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.' The personal property of the Father is to beget ; and of the Son, to be begotten. There is an eternal noiu, wherein God is said to beget him. Thus he may be called the Father of Christ, as he is the second Person, and not only as incarnate and Mediator. Though God be Christ's Father, as second Person, yet they are all equal in power, dignity, and glory ;
Mat. VI. 9,] the lord's prayer. 41
but as Mediator, God is his Father in another respect. So it is said, John xiv. 28. ' My Father is greater than I ' — not as God, for so he was equal ; ' He thought it no robbery to be equal with God : ' Pliil. ii. 6. But ' greater than I ; ' that is, consider him as man and mediator, in the state of his humiliation ; for it is notable to consider upon what occasion Christ speaks these words: 'If ye love me ye would rejoice because I said I go unto the Father ; for my Father is greater than I ; ' that is, You admire me and prize my company exceedingly, because you see the power which I put forth in the miracles which I do ; ye would rejoice if you understood it aright ; he is infinitely more glorious than I appear in this state of abasement and humiliation. Thus, with respect to Christ, God, the first Person, may be called the Father,
[2.] With respect to us ; for the first person is not only the Father of Christ, but our Father : John xx. 17, 'I go to my Father, and your Father.' We share with Christ in all his relations. As God was his God by covenant, so he is our God. And in this sense, per- sonally, it may be taken here ; for our business lieth mainly with the first Person, with whom Christ intercedeth for us : 1 John ii. 1, ' Wo have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous.' Before whom doth he appear ? Before the Father. And it is to him to whom we direct our prayers, though not excluding the other per- sons : Eph. iii. 14, ' I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Though it be not unlawful to pray to Christ, or to the Holy Ghost, for that hath been done by the saints. Stephen saith, ' Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ;' and Jacob saith, ' The angel of the covenant bless the lads.' And all baptized persons are baptized in the name of the Son and Holy Ghost, as well as in the name of the Father. But usually Christian worship is terminated upon God the Father, as being chief in the mystery of redemption; and so it is said, Eph. ii. 18, ' Through him, by one Spirit, we have access to the Father.' We come to him through Christ, as the meritorious cause, who hath procured leave for us ; and by the Spirit, as the efiicient cause, who gives us a heart to come ; and to the Father, as the ulti- mate object of Christian worship. Christ procureth us leave to come, and the Spirit gives us a heart to come : so that by the Spirit, through Christ, we have access to God. So that now you may see what is meant by the Father — ' Our Father.'