can only fignify in general the treating him and his with the Adoration and Reverence that is due to them; and when applied to each Particular, it must have a different Meaning, according to the Nature of the Thing to which it is applied.—Thus, if by his Name we mean himself, the Senfe is, that we adore and worship him with that Reverence and Duty which we ought to do; if by his Name be meant his Power, or any other Perfection, to fanctify or hallow it is to conceive just and awful Notions of it; if by his Name be meant bis Authority, (as when our Lord fays, he came in his Father's Name) to ballow it is to receive and reverence that Authority, and to be fubmiffive and obedient to it; and lastly, if by his Name be meant his holy Religion only, to hallow it is to receive, profefs, and practise that Religion, in a Manner becoming the Dignity of the Author of it. And upon the whole, when we pray, that God's Name may be hallowed, our Petition is, that it would please God to extend the Knowledge of himfelf, the only true God, to all Mankind, that every Mouth may confefs, and every Tongue adore and praise him; and that it would please him to affift and enable us, to whom he has vouchsafed that Knowledge, ever to retain awful and juft Sentiments of his Divine Majefty; to treat whatever belongs to him, his Word, his Sacraments, his Ministers, his Temple, with the Regards which are due to

them

them, on account of that Relation; never to approach him but with the greateft Humility and Devotion; and fo to conduct ourselves on all Occafions, that others may not be led by our Example or ill Behaviour to revile and blafpheme him.

The 2d Petition is, Thy Kingdom come.

Where by God's Kingdom is chiefly meant the Gospel of Chrift, or the Profeffion of that Holy Religion which is taught us by our Blessed Lord in the Gofpel.-God indeed does and must for ever reign with abfolute Authority, as Lord and Governor of every thing that he has made.-But in this Senfe his Kingdom already is, nay and has been come from the Foundations of the World.-We must therefore be understood in this Petition to pray for the Coming of his Kingdom, as it fignifies his reigning in the Minds and Hearts of thofe who profefs his Gospel; in which Sense his Kingdom neither is, nor ever will be fully come, till the Confummation of all things.And as then we pray in the former Petition, that God may be duly honoured and adored in general, we here pray, that this Honour may be paid him by the Profeffion and Practice of his true Religion. This Profeffion and Practice is every where in the Gofpels called the Kingdom of God, as coming from him and the Kingdom of Chrift, who is the Head and Ruler over all things to his Church.

;

And

And as this Kingdom is ufually divided into two Periods; one, its prefent State of Trial and Obedience in this World; and the other, its State of Glory and Reward in the next, wherein all the faithful Subjects of this Kingdom fhall themselves reign for ever in eternal Happiness: Our Defires therefore in this Petition must be understood to extend to both thefe States; and the whole of it, when thus understood, is this. We pray, that it would please God to extend the Knowledge of the Gospel to all the World, that the Earth may be filled with the Knowledge of it, as the Waters cover the Sea; we pray, that it would please him to recall his ancient People the Jews, as well as all the Heathen, to his true Faith and Worship, that fo the whole World may be come one Fold under one Shepherd, Jefus Chrift the Righteous. And with regard to us, who already do, or those who hereafter hall, profefs his Gofpel, we pray, that he may reign in the Hearts as well as in the Mouths of every Member of his Church throughout the World; that all who profefs and call themselves Chriftians may be led into the Way of Truth and Piety by his Holy Spirit; and may hold the Faith in Unity of Spirit, and in the Bond of Peace, and in Righteoufness of Life. And we pray, that when he thall thus have fully established his fpiritual Kingdom upon Earth, it would please him to haften the Coming of his eternal Kingdom in Heaven; that we, and all they whe

fhall

Shall have departed this Life in his true Faith and Fear, may have our perfect Confummation and Blifs in his ineffable and everlasting Glory..

The third Petition is, Thy Will be done in
Earth as it is in Heaven.

Wherein we are referred to the bleffed Angels and Spirits, who furround God's Throne, and attend upon him in Heaven, as the Patterns which we ought to follow, in our Submiffion to his Pleasure, and our Obedience to his Laws. Not that we here pray to be enabled to come up to their Perfection; this our prefent State and Infirmities will not admit of; but we defire to be brought as near to it as our Faculties and Capacities will permit us.As they readily, conftantly, and chearfully execute his Commands; fo we pray to be enabled to imitate those Difpofitions, and transcribe that Readiness, Conftancy, and Chearfulness in our own Practice.We pray, that the Holy Spirit, who gives us to will and to do of bis good Pleafure, would fufficiently strengthen us with Might in the inner Man, that we may lay afide every Weight, and the Sins which do moft easily befet us; may, like the bleffed Angels, be always watchful [to discharge every Duty; like them, entirely refign up our own Will to the Will of our heavenly Father, and, like them, be crowned with Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoft.

So that as we pray in the first Petition, that all Men may truly know God and his Attributes, and duly worship and honour him; and in the fecond, that all may profess his true Religion, and finally reap the Rewards of it; fo in this third our Petition is, that all may act conformably to that Knowledge and that Profeffion, by approaching as near as may be to the Practice of the heavenly Hofts, thofe Minifters of God, who in all things do his Pleajure.

Thus does our Bleffed Lord here teach us to feek first in our Prayers, as we ought to do in our whole Conduct, the Kingdom of God and bis Righteousness; and when we have thus done, he permits us to extend our Care to earthly Bleffings, and to pray in the

Fourth Petition, Give us this Day our daily
Bread.

Wherein our Lord directs us to apply continually to God, who is the Author and Giver of all good Things, both for the Neceffaries and the Comforts of this Life.Bread, which is the most common, and oftentimes the chief Support of Life, is, by a very common and eafy Figure, put to fignify all the Neceffaries of it. By daily Bread is meant fo much of it, as is fufficient to give us an eafy and comfortable Support; and by limiting this Petition to what is fufficient for us, we are taught not to extend our Prayers to what is fuperfluous and

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needlefs;