5. From the nature of prayer. The whole spiritual life it is a living to God : Gal. ii. 19, ' I am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.' The whole tendency and ordination of all acts of the spiritual life they are to God. Even the natural life is overruled and directed to this end ; there is an eating and drinking to God ; the meat and drink we take, if God be not the last end of it, it is but a meat-offering and a drink-offering to our own appetite, and a sacri- fice to Moloch. Now, much more in acts of immediate worship, there God will be principally regarded, for their respect and tendency is mainly to God. In our whole life we are God's, dedicated to him. Every godly man is set apart for God. A man that is a Christian must be ' holy in all manner of conversation,' 1 Pet. i. 15. A Chris- tian must look upon himself as one that is dedicated to God, when he is at his meals, in his trade and calling ; and grace is to run out in every act. But much more is this tendency of grace to bewray itself in our solemn sequestration of ourselves when we make our nearer
Mat. VI. 9.] the lord's prayer. 71
approaches to him : Ijov. x. 3, ' I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the j^eople will I be glorified.' What is it to sanctify God ? A thing is sanctilicd when it is set apart ; and God is sanctified when we set apart ourselves wholly for him — when he hath more than common aflections and common respects. And therefore in prayer, in the first place, we should go to God for God, and surely in such a request we are likely to speed.
6. Love to God, if it be unfeigned, and hath any strength in the soul, will necessarily put us upon this. Love seeks the good of the party beloved, as much or more than its own. Those which love have all things in common between them, and one counts it done to him- self what is done to the other ; so it is in the love between us and God. Look, as Christ loves the saints, and counteth whatever you do to them it is done to him, because done to those whom he loved — Mat. XXV. : so, reciprocally, the saint which loves God, what is done to God is done to us : when God is honoured, we are comforted as much or more than with our own benefit ; and when God is dis- honoured, we have the grief and sorrow : Ps. Ixix. 9, ' The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.' Or if they hear God's name rent in pieces, and men dishonour him by their filthy lives, it goetli to their hearts ; for God and they have but one com- mon interest — nay, they prefer God's interest before their own or any other's : John xxi. 15, ' Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these ? ' By the world's maxim, love should begin at home ; but by Christ's direction, it beginneth with God They are more tender of God's glory than their own lives and outward comfort : ' I count not my life dear to me,' saith Paul. Thus you see what reason there is why our main care and thoughts should be taken up about the concernments of God, and about the glory of his holy name.
Use 1. To reprove us, that we aYe no more affected with God's glory. Oh, how little do we aim at and regard it in our prayers ! We should seek it, not only above the profits and pleasures of this life, but even above life itself ; yea, above life present and to come. But alas ( since the fall, we are corrupt, and wholly poisoned with self-love ; we prefer every base interest and trifle before God ; nay, we prefer carnal self before God. Some are wholly brutish ; and so they may wallow in ease and pleasure, and eat the fat and drink the sweet, never think of God, care not how God is dishonoured, both by themselves and others. And then some, oh, how tender are they in matters of their own concernment, and affected with it, more than for the glory of Q-od ! — John xii. 43. They are more affected with their own honour, and their own loss and reproach, than with God's dishonour or God's glor}^ If their own reputation be but hazarded a little, oh, how it stings them to the heart! But if they be faulty towards God, they can pass it over without trouble. A w^ord of disgrace, a little con- tempt cast upon our persons, kindles the coals and fills us with rage ; but we can hear God's name dishonoured, and not be moved with it. When they pray, if they beg outward blessinj^s, if they ask anything, it is for their lusts, not for God ; it is but to feed their pomp and ex- cess, and that they may shine in the pomp and sj)lendour of external accommodations. If they beg quickening and enlargement, it is