Secondly, It is not only a doxology, but a full one, and very expres- sive of the excellency of God. From whence note : —
Doct. The saints are not niggardly and sparing in praising of God ;
246 AN EXPOSITION OF [Mat, VI, 13.
kiugdom, power, and glory, and all that iy excellent, they ascribe to him.
A gracious heart hath such a sense of God's worth and excellency that he thinks he can never speak honourably enough of it. See how David enlargeth himself very suitably to what is spoken here : 1 Cliron. xxix. 10-13, ' And David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God, for ever and ever : thine, 0 Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty : thine is the kingdom, 0 Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name." Oh, when once a child of God falls upon speaking of God, he cannot tell how to come out of the meditation : he seeth so much is due to God that he lieaps words upon words. So 1 Tim. i. 17, ' Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.' And in many other places of scripture. Now, this copiousness in praising of God is, partly, because of the excel- lency of the object: Neh. ix. 5, 'Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.' When they have done what they can to bless God, remember his benefits, or praise^ God, and recount his excellencies, still they come too far sliort ; therefore when we cannot do all, we should do much. And partly, it is from the greatness and largeness of their affection ; they think never to have done enough for God, whom they love so much. David saith, ' I will praise him yet more and more.' They cannot satisfy themselves by taking up the excellency of God in one notion only ; therefore majesty, greatness, glory, wisdom, and power, they mention all things which are honourable and glorious.
Use. The use is again to reprove us for being -so cold and sparing this way. It argueth a want of a due sense of God's excellency and straitness of spiritual affection ; therefore we should study God more, and observe his manifold excellencies. Get a greater esteem of him in your hearts, for ' out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak.' We should be calling upon ourselves, as David, Ps. ciii. 1 : ' Bless the Lord, 0 my soul ; and all that is within me, bless his holy name.'
Thirdly, I observe again, it is brought in with a for, as relating to the foregoing petitions : ' Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil : for thine is the kingdom,' &c.
What respect hath this doxology to the foregoing requests ?
First, It serves to increase our confidence in prayer.
Secondly, Our reverence and affection.
Thirdly, To regulate and direct our prayers : —
[1.] As to the person to whom we pray.
[2.] As to the manner of asking.
[3.] As to the persons praying.
Let us see all these requests.-^
First, The great end is to increase our confidence. Observe,
Doct. It is a great relief to a soul, in praying to God, to consider that his is the kingdom, power, and glory ; and all these for ever.
His is the kingdom.
^ Qu. ' respects • ' — Ed.
Mat. VI. 13.] the lord's prayer. 247
God hath the sovereign government of all things. And then his right to govern is backed with all-sufficient power and strength ; and so he can dispose of his sovereignty for the bringing to pass what we expect from him.
Authority is one thing, and power another, but they both meet in God ; he hath all power and authority.
And then, his is the glory : he is concerned as w^ell as we ; yea more, his interest is greater than ours, for the glory of all belongs to him : and all this, not for a time, but for ever. These are the encour- agements to raise our confidence that our prayers shall be heard and granted when we ask anything according to his will.
There are two things that give us confidence in any that we sue to — if he be able and willing. Now God is able to grant our requests, and very prone and willing also. We are taught it sufficiently in this prayer ; for we begin with him as Fatlier, and we end with him as a glorious and powerful king ; his fatherly affection, on the one hand, shows that he is willing ; and his royal power, on the other, that he is able : so that if we ask anything according to his will, we need not doubt. We may gather his power and will out of this very clause : His power ; for his is the kingdom, and power, or a right and authority, backed with absolute all-sufficiency. Then his will, ' Thine is the glory ;' it is his glory to grant our petitions, not only matter of happiness to us, but of glory to God, therefore we need not doubt, i