[4.] The duration, for ever. AH excellencies which are in God, they are eternally in God. God is an infinite, simple, independent being, the cause of all things, but caused by none ; therefore he was from everlasting, and will be to everlasting : Ps. xc. 2, ' Before the moun- tains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.' If there were a time when God was not, then there was a time when nothing was ; and then there would never have been anything, unless nothing could make all things. Therefore God is eternally glorious ; for what- ever is in God is originally in himself, and absolutely Avithout depend- ence on any other, to everlasting. How loosely do honours sit upon men! Every disease shakes them out of their kingdom, power, and glory ; and -svithin a little while the state, show, and all the command of earthly kings wdll fade away, and come to nothing. Governors and government may die, principalities grow old and infirm, and sicken and die, as well as princes ; kingdoms expire, like kings, and they like us : Ps. Ixxxii. 6, 7, ' I have said. Ye are gods ; and all of you are children of the Most High: but ye shall die like men.' 'But thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever,' Ps. xlv. 6. His kingdom, and power, and glory, they are without beginning and without end. Now this is also a ground of confidence and dependence upon God. Earthh' kings, wdien they perish, their favourites are counted offenders : 1 Kings i. 21, 'When my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.' Wlien other governors are set up, they and their children will be found offenders. But our kins: li^'os for ever ; therefore this should encourage us to be
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oftener in attendance upon God, performing it with all diligence and seriousness, rather than court the humours and lusts of earthly poten- tates, who die like one of the people, and leave us exposed to the rage and wrath of others that do succeed them. But God is the same that ever he was, to all those that ever called upon his name. God is where he was at first : I AM is his name ; there is no wrinkle upon the brow of eternity. ' His arm is not short, that it cannot save ; or his ear heavy, that it cannot hear,' Isa. lix. 1. Whatever he hath been to his people that have called upon him in former ages, he is the same still. !So Isa. li. 9, ' Awake, awake, put on strength, 0 arm of the Lord ; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon ? ' God hath done great things for his people : he smote Rahab, and killed the dragon (meaning Pharaoh) ; and God is the same God still — his kingdom, power, and glory are for ever ; and God will be your God too for ever- more. Look, as this doth increase the terror of the damned in hell, that they ' fall into the hands of the living God,' Heb. x. 31 — God lives for ever to see vengeance executed upon his enemies — so it is a comfort to have an interest in the living God, that can and will keep you, and bring you to heaven, where you shall be with him for ever- more, that will ever live to see his friends rewarded.
Secondly, It directeth and regulateth our prayers.
[1.] It directs us to the object of prayer ; to whom should we pray, but to him that is absolute and above control ? To God, and God alone ; not to angsls and saints. To whom should we go in our neces- sities, but to him that hath dominion over all things, and power to dispose of them for his own glory ? Will you think it a boldness to go immediately to God ? It were so indeed if we had not a Med iator, for a fallen creature can never have the impudence ; and wicked men that have not got an interest in Christ cannot expect relief from God ; but it is no impudence to come with a Mediator: Heb. iv. 16, ' Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.'
[2] It directs us how to conceive of God in prayer. Right thoughts of God in prayer are very necessary and very difficult. No one thing troubleth the saints so much as this, how to fix their thoughts in the apprehensions of God when they pray to him. Now here is a direc- tion how we should look upon God : look upon him as the eternal being, and first cause, to whom belongs kingdom, power, and glory. We cannot see God's essence, and therefore we must conceive of him according to his praises in the word. Now take but the preface and the conclusion, and then you have a full description of God. Look upon him as an eternal being, whose is the kingdom, absolute right to dispose of all things in the world, backed with all-sufficiency and strengtli. And look upon him as your Father that is in heaven ; for Our Father which art in heaven relates to Christ, that is, in the heavenly sanctuary, appearing before God for us. This will help you in your conceptions of God, that you may not be puzzled nor entangled in prayer.