2. It directith us : —
[1.] How to pray to God against sin rather than irouble. This is indeed to be delivered from evil : 2 Tim. iv. 18, Paul reckoned upon that, ' He will deliver me from every evil work.' When afflicted, you should rather desire to have the affliction sanctified than removed ; you will be most careful for that ; saints do not pray for the interests of the old man rather than the new man. To be freed from trouble is a common mercy, but to have it sanctified is a special mercy. Carnal men may be without affliction, but carnal men cannot have experience of grace. Bare deliverance is no sign of special love.
[2.] In our choice. It was a heavy charge they put upon Job: Job xxxvi. 21, 'Thou hast chosen iniquity rather than affliction.' Sometimes we are put upon the trial, to lose the favour of God or the favour of men, duty and danger: here content myself, gratify my lusts and interests ; there offend God, Out of the temptation, we could easily judge that all the misery in the world is to be endured rather than commit the least sin. But how is it upon a trial, when a worldly convenience and a spiritual inconvenience is proposed ? By choosing sin, a man cannot altogether escape affliction here or here- after. Wickedness, though it prosper a while, yet at length it proveth a snare.
3. It directeth us to submit to God's providence, and to own mercy in it. Though God doth not exempt us from troubles, yet if he keep us from hurt thereby, if he sanctify the trouble, and support us with grace sufficient, it is his mercy to us. For Daniel to be put into the lions' den was not so great a judgment as for Nebuchadnezzar to have the heart of a beast. To be given up to our own hearts' lusts, to commit any sin, it is a greater cross than any misery that can light upon us ; therefore let us be patient under affliction. Our great care
Mat. VI. 13.] the lord's prayer. 243
should be, not to dishonour God in any condition. God hath pro- mised to be with his people in their afflictions to comfort them ; but hath never promised to be with his people in their sins : ' I will be with you in the fire, and in the water,' as the Son of God was with the three children in the fiery furnace. But God is departed when they sin ; I will go to my own place. Sin hindereth prayer, but afflictions quicken it : Isa. xxvi. IG, ' Lord, in trouble have they visited thee ; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.' In affliction it is a time to put the promises in suit ; it doth not hinder our access to God and the throne of grace, but driveth us to it. But sin increaseth our bondage, maketli us stand at a distance, and grow shy of God. The fruit of sin is shame, Rom. vi. 21.
4. It teaches us how to wait and hope for the issue of our prayers. Pray that ye enter not into temptation ; yet be not absolute in that, but to be kept from evil, that what way soever we are tried we may be kept from the evil of sin.
For thine is the kingdom, and the poiuer, and the glory, foi^ ever.
A men.
In these words we have the conclusion of all, and that which giveth us confidence in the requests we make to God.
First, The confirmation is taken from the excellency of God, to whom we pray ; where there is a declaration of what belongeth to God:—
Secondly, The duration and perpetuity, for ever.
Three things are mentioned as belonging to God — hingdom, poicer, and glory.
1. By kingdom is meant God's right and authority over all things, by which he can dispose of them according to his own pleasure.
2. By 'power is meant his sufficiency to execute this right, and to do what he pleaseth, both in heaven and earth.
3. The final cause of all is his glory. ' Thine is the glory,' or the honour of all things in the world belongs to thee. Glory is excel- lency discovered with praise. We desire that he may be more honoured and brought into request and esteem.
Secondly, We have the obsignation and sealing of our requests in the word Amen; which is, signacidmn fidei, an expression of our faith and hope. And actus desiderii, the strength of our desire. There is the Amen of faith, and the Amen of hearty desire ; as by and by.
Now let us look upon this conclusion, first, as a doxology or expres- sion of praise to God : and tlie note is : —
Doct. That in every address to God, lauding or praising of God is necessary.
For in this perfect form of prayer Christ teacheth us, not only to ask things needful for ourselves, but to ascribe to God things pro})er to him.
There are two words used in this case in scripture, praise and
244 AN EXPOSITION OF [Mat. VI. 13.
hlesslng. Praise relatetli to God's excellency, and blessing to his benefits : Ps. cxlv. 10, ' All thy works shall praise thee, 0 Lord ; and thy saints shall bless thee.' All the works of God declare his excel- lency ; but the saints will ever be ascribing to God the benefits they have received from him. So they are spoken of as things, though somewhat alike, yet as distinct : Neh. ix. 5, ' Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.' Our praise cannot reach the excellency of his nature ; nor our blessing express the worth of his benefits. Both may be here intended. For thine is kingdom and power, relateth to his excellency, and thine is the glory, to his benefits ; for God's glory is the reflex of all his works, and so expresseth the benefits showed to the sons of men, especially to his people. Well, then, whenever you would pray to God to bless you, you must bless God again, and praise his name : Eph. i. 3, ' Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.' It is the echo and reflex of his grace and mercy to the creatures. God blesseth us, and we bless God ; as the echo returneth the word, or the wall beateth back the beams of the sun. Only consider, we bless God far otherwise than he blesseth us : God's blessing is operative, ours declarative ; his words are accompanied with power : henedicere is henefacere. He doth good ; we speak good when we remember the blessed effects of his grace, and tell what he hath done for our souls.