CO AX EXPOSITION OF [MaT. VI. 9.
liavin<;^ not seen, ye love : in wliom, though now 3-6 see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.' And this is that which discovereth the faithless and disobedient world : Job xxii. 12-14, ' Is not God in the height of heaven ? How doth God know ? can he judge through the dark cloud ? Thick clouds are n covering to him that he seeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.'
[3.] It is fit there should be a better place into which the saints should be translated when the course of theii" obedience is ended : Eph. i. 3, ' He hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly jilaces.' The main of Christ's purchase we have in heavenly places. It is tit the place of trial and place of recompense should differ; there- fore the place of trial, that is God's footstool ; and the place of recom- pense, that is God's throne. The world, that is a place of trial ; it is a common inn for sons and bastards, for the elect and reprobate ; a receptacle of man and beast: here God will show his bounty unto all his creatures ; but now, in the place of his residence, he will show his love to his people. Therefore, when we have been tried and exercised, there is a place of preferment for us.
Fourthly, What advantage have we in prayer by considering God in heaven ? Very much, whether we consider God abso- lutely, or with resj'tect to a mediator ; both ways we have an advan- tage."'
J^'irst, If we consider the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who have their residence in heaven ; consider them without respect to a medi- ator. Why, the looking up to God in heaven : —
[1.] It showeth us that prayer is an act of the heart, and not of the lips. That it is not the sound of the voice which can pierce the heavens, and enter into the ears of the Lord of hosts, but sighs and groans of the spirit. Christians ! in prayer God is near to us, and yet far from us, for we must look upon him as in heaven, and we upon earth. How then should we converse with God in prayer ? Not by the tongue only, but by the heart. The commerce and communion of spirits is not hindered by local distance; but God is with us, and we Avithhim, when our heart goeth up.
[2.] It teacheth the great work of pi-ayer is to lift up the heart to God. To withdraw the heart from all created things which we see and feej here below, that we may converse with God in heaven : Ps. cxxiii. 1, ' Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, 0 thou that dwellest in the heavens;' and. Lam. iii. 41, 'Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.' Prayer doth not consist in a multi- tude and clatter of words, but in the getting up of the heart to God, that we may behave ourselves as if we were alone with God, in the midst of glorious saints and angels. There is a double advantage which we have by this getting the soul into heaven in prayer. It is a means to free us from distractions and doubts. To free us from distractions and other intercurrent thoughts. Until we get our hearts out of the world, as if we were dead and shut up to all present things, how easily is the heart carried away with the thoughts _ of earthly concernments ! Until we can separate and purge our spirits, how do we interline our prayers with many ridiculous thoughts ! It
Mat. YI. 9.] the lokd's prayer. 61
is too usual for us to deal with God as an unskilful person that will gather a posy for his friend, and puts in as many or more stinking weeds than he doth choice flowers. The flesh interposeth, and our carnal hearts interline and interlace our prayers with vain thoughts and earthly distractions. When with our censer we come to offer incense to Grod, we mingle sulphur with our incense. Therefore we should labour all that we can to get the heart above the world into the presence of God and company of the blessed, that we may deal with him as if we were by him in heaven, and were wholly swallowed up of his glory. Though our bodies are on earth, yet our spirits should be with our Father in heaven. For want of pi-actising this in prayer, these distractions increase upon us. So for doubts, when we look to things below, even the very manifestations of God to us upon earth, we have many discouragements, dangers without and difficul- ties within: till we get above the mists of the lower world, we can see nothing of clearness and comfort ; but when we can get God and our hearts together, then we can see there is much in the fountain, though nothing in the stream ; and though little on earth, yet we have a God in heaven.
[3.] This impresseth an awe and reverence, if we look upon'the glory of God manifested in heaven, that bright and luminous place. This is urged by the Holy Ghost : Eccles. v. 2, ' Thou art upon earth, and God is in heaven; therefore let thy words be few;' Gen. xviii. 27, ' Who am I that I should take upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes?' We are poor crawling worms, and therefore, when we think of the majesty of God, it should impress a holy awe upon us. Mean persons will behave themselves with all honour and reverence when they supplicate to men of quality ; so should we to God, who is so high and so much above us ; he is in heaven. It is a diminution of his greatness (Mai. i. 14) when we put off God with anything, and come slightly and carelessly into his presence.