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himy with humble fubmiffion to his will z.

Q. 186. What rule hath God given for our direction in

the duty of prayer?

A. The whole word of God is of use to direct us in the duty of praying a; but the fpecial rule of direction, is that form of prayer which our Saviour Chrift taught his disciples, commonly called, The Lord's Prayer b.

Q. 187. How is the Lord's prayer to be used?

A. The Lord's prayer is not only for direction, as a pattern according to which we are to make other prayers; bud may also be used as a prayer, fo that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, and other graces neceffary to the right performance of the duty of prayer c.

Q.188. Of how many parts doth the Lord's prayer confift? A. The Lord's prayer confifts of three parts; a preface, petitions, and a conclufion.

Q. 189. What doth the preface of the Lord's prayer teach us?

A. The preface of the Lord's prayer (contained in these words, Our Father who art in heaven d) teacheth us, when we pray, to draw near to God with confidence of his Fatherly goodness, and our intereft thereine; with reverence, and all other

the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplication for all faints.

♬ Micah vii. 7. Therefore I will look unto the Lord: I will wait for the God of my falvation: my God will hear me.

z Mat. xxvi. 39. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, faying, O my Father, if it be poffible, let this cup pafs from me i nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

186. 1 John v. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

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other child-like difpofitions f, heavenly affections g, and due apprehenfions of his fovereign power, majefty, and gracious condefcenfion : as alfo, to pray with and for others i.

Q. 190. What do we pray for in the first petition?

A. In the first petition (which is, Hallowed be thy name ) acknowledging the utter inability and indifpofition that is in ourfelves and all men to honour God aright /, we pray, That God would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know, to acknowledge, and highly to efteem him, m, his ti tles n, attributes o, ordinances, wordp, works, and whatso

the fpirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

f Ifa. lxiv. 9. Ee not wroth very fore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, fee, we befeech thee, we are all thy people.

g Pfal. cxxiii. 1. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwelleft in the heavens. Lam. iii. 41. Let us lift up our heart with our hands un

to God in the heavens.

Ifa. lxiii. 15. Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holinefs and of thy glory where is thy zeal and thy itrength, the founding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me? are they reftrained? v. 16. Doubtlefs thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Ifrael acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, thy name is from everlasting. Neh. i. 4. And it came to pafs when I heard thefe words, that I fat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fafted, and prayed before the God of heaven, v. 5. And faid, I befeech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and obferve his commandments: v. 6. Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes

ever

open, that thou mayeft hear the prayer of thy fervant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Ifrael thy fervants, and confefs the fins of the children of Ifrael, which we have finned against thee: both I and my fathers houfe have finned.

i Acts xii. 5. Peter therefore was kept in prifon; but prayer was made without ceafing of the church unto God for him.

190. k Mat. vi. 9.

12 Cor. iii. 5. Not that we are fufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves: but our fufficiency is of God. Pfal. li. 15. O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth fhall fhew forth thy praise.

m Pfal. lxvii. 2. That thy way may be known upon the earth, thy faving health among all nations. v. 3. Let the people praife thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

» Pfal. lxxxiii. 18. That men may know, that thou, whofe name alone is JEHOVAH, art the moft High over all the earth.

• Pfal. lxxxvi. 10. For thou art great, and doft wondrous things: thou art God alone. v. 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord, I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. v. 12. I will praise thee,

O Lord

ever he is pleased to make himself known by q; and to glorify him in thought, word r, and deed/: that he would prevent and remove atheism t, ignorance v, idolatry w, profaneness,

O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. v. 13. For great is thy mercy toward me; and thou hast delivered my foul from the lowest hell. v. 15. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compaffion, and gracious: long-fuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

p2 Theff. iii. 1. Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you. Pfa. cxlvii. 19. He fheweth his word unto Jacob, his ftatutes and his judgments unto Ifrael. v. 20. He hath not dealt fo with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. Pfa.cxxxviii. 1.I will praise thee with my whole heart, before the gods will I fing praise unto thee. v. 2. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name, for thy loving kindness, and for thy truth: for thou haft magnified thy word above all thy name. v. 3. In the day when I cried, thou anfweredft me: and strengthenedft me with ftrength in my foul. 2 Cor. ii. 14. Now thanks be unto God, who always caufeth us to triumph in Chrift, and maketh manifeft the favour of his knowledge by us in every place. v. 15. For we are unto God a fweet favour of Christ, in them that are faved, and in them that perish.

q Pfa. cxlv. throughout. I will extol thee, my God, O King, &c. Pfa. viii. throughout. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! &c.

r Pfa, ciii. 1. Blefs the Lord, O

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my foul: and all that is within me, blefs his holy name. Pfa. xix. 14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be aeceptable in thy fight, O Lord my ftrength, and my redeemer.

f Phil. i. 9. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment. v. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteoufnefs, which are by Jefus Chrift unto the glory and praise of God.

Pfa. lxvii. 1. God be merciful unto us, and bless us: and caufe his face to fhine upon us. Selah. v. 2. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy faving health among all nations. v. 3. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. v. 4. O let the nations be glad and fing for joy: for thou fhalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

v Eph. i. 17. That the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wifdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him: v. 18. The eyes of your undertanding being enlight ened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the faints.

w Pfa. xcvii. 7. Confounded be all they that ferve graven images, that boaft themfelves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

x Pfa. Ixxiv. 18. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blafphemed thy name. v. 22. Arife, O God, plead thine own cause: A a 3

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and whatsoever is difhonourable to himy; and, by his overruling providence, direct and difpöfe of all things to his own glory z.

Q. 191. What do we pray for in the fecond petition?

A. In the fecond petition (which is, Thy kingdom come a) acknowledging ourfelves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of fin and Satan b, we pray, That the kingdom of fin and Satan may be deftroyed c, the gospel

remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily. v. 23. Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee, increafeth continually.

y 2 Kings xix. 5. And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and faid, O Lord God of Ifrael, who dwelleft between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth. v. 16. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine eyes, and fec: and hear the words of Senache rib, who hath sent him to reproach the living God.

≈ 2 Chron. xx. 6. And (Jchofhaphat) faid, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, fo that none is able to withstand thee? v. 10. And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldst not let Ifrael invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and deftroyed them not: v. 11. Behold, I fay, how they reward us, to come to caft us out of thy poffeffion which thou haft given us to inherit. v. 12. O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this

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great company that cometh against us: neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. Pía. lxxxiii. throughout. Keep not thou filence, O God: hold not thy peace, &c. Pfa. cxl. 4. Keep me, 0 Lord, from the hands of the wic ked, preferve me from the violent man, who hath purposed to overthrow my goings. v. 8. Grant not, O Lord, the defires of the wicked, further not his wicked devices, left they exalt themselves. Selah.

191. a Mat. vi. 10.

Eph. ii. 2. Wherein in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the fpirit that now worketh in the children of difobedience. v. 3. Among whom alfo we all had our converfation is times paft, in the lufts of our fielh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

c Pfa. lxviii. 1. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them alfo that hate him, flee before him. v. 18. Thou haft afcended on high, thou haft led captivity captive; thou haft received gifts for men: yea, for the rebellious alfo, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Rev. xii. 10. And I heard a loud voice faying in heaven, Nów is come falvation, and strength, and the

propagated throughout the world d, the Jews called e, the fulness of the Gentiles brought inf; the church furnished with all gofpel officers and ordinancesg, purged from corruption b, countenanced and maintained by the civil magiftratei: that the ordinances of Chrift may be purely difpenf ed, and made effectual to the converting of thofe that are yet in their fins, and the confirming, comforting and building up of those that are already converted k: that Chrift would rule

kingdom of our God, and the power of his Chrift: for the accufer of our brethren is caft down, which accused them before our God day and night. v. 11. And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

d2 Theff. iii. 1. Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free courfe, and be glorified, even as it is with you.

Rom. x. 1. Brethren, my hearts defire and prayer to God for Ifrael is that they might be faved.

f John xvii. 9. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou haft given me, for they are thine. v. 20. Neither pray I for thefe alone, but for them alfo who fhall believe on me through their word. Rom. xi. 25. For I would not, brethren, that ye fhould be ignorant of this mystery, (left ye should be wife in your own conceits) that blindness in part is happened to If rael, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. v. 26. And so all If rael fhall be faved: as it is written, There fhall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodlinefs from Jacob. Pia, Ixvii. throughout. God be merciful unto us, and blefs us: and caufe his face zo fhine upon us, &c.

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the Lord of the harvest, that he will fend forth labourers into his harveft. 2 Theff. iii. 1. Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free courfe, and be glorified, even as it is with you.

Mal.i. 11. For from the rifing of the fun, even unto the going down of the fame, my name fhall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incenfe fhall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name fhall be great among the heathen, faith the Lord of hofts. Zeph. iii. 9. For then will I turn to the people, a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to ferve him with one confent.

ir Tim. ii. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: v. 2. For kings, and for all that are in authority: that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinefs and honey.

Acts iv. 29. And now Lord, behold their threatning; and grant unto thy fervants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, V. 30. By ftretching forth thine hand to heal; and that figns and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jefus. Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayMat. ix. 38. Pray ye therefore er and fupplication in the Spirit,

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