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own g or others good h: but not for any thing that is unlawfuli.

Q. 185. How are we to pray?

A. We are to pray with an awful apprehenfion of the majefty of God k and deep sense of our own unworthinefs, neceflities m, and fins n; with penitent o, thankful p, and enlarged hearts q; with understanding r, faith, fincerity t, fervency

walls of Jerufalem. Pfal. cxxii. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerufalem: they fhall profper that love thee.

8 Mat. vii. 11. If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that afk him?

h Pfal. cxxv. 4. Do good, O Lord, unto thofe that be good; and to them that are upright in their hearts.

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.

185. k Eccl. v. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goeft to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the facrifice of fools: for they confider not that they do evil.

7 Gen. xviii. 27. And Abraham anfwered and faid, Behold, now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but duft and ashes. Gen. xxxii. 10. I am not worthy of the leaft of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou haft fhewed unto thy fervant ;

m Luke xv. 17. And when he came to himself, he laid, How many hired fervants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! v. 18. I will arife, and go to my father, and will fay unto him, Father, I have finned againft heaven, and before thee, v. 19. and am no more worthy to be called thy fon: make me as one of thy hired fervants.

n Luke xviii. 13. And the publiean standing afar off, would not lift

up fo much as his eyes unto heaven, but fmote upon his breaft, faying, God be merciful to me a finner. v. 14. I tell you, this man went down to his houfe juftified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself, fhall be abafed; and he that humbleth himfelf, fhall be exalted.

o Pfal. li. 17. The facrifices of God are a broken fpirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife.

Phil.iv. 6. Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer, and fupplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.'

91 Sam. i. 15. And Hannah anfwered and faid, No, my lord, I am a woman of a forrowful fpirit: I have drunk neither wine nor ftrong drink, but have poured out my foul before the Lord. 1 Sam. ii. 1. And Hannah prayed, and faid, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy falvation,

1 Cor. xiv. 15. What is it then? I will pray with the fpirit, and I will pray with the understanding alfo.

/Mark xi. 24. Therefore I fay unto you, what things foever ye defire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye fhall have them. Jam. i. 6. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the fea, driven with the wind, and toffed.

t Pfal. cxl. 18. The Lord is nigh

unto

vency v, love w, and perfeverance x, waiting upon him y humble fubmiffion to his will z.

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Q. 186. What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of prayer?

A. The whole word of God is of ufe 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; but 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..

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 heavend) teacheth us, when we pray, to draw near to God with confidence of his Fatherly goodness, and our intereft thereine: with reverence, and all

unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Pfal. xvii. 1. Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer that goeth not cut of feigned lips.

v Jam. v. 16.-The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

w 1 Tim. ii. 8. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and fupplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perfeverance, and fupplication for all faints.

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

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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 pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.

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

Mat. vi. verfes 9, 10, 11, 12. 13.After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father, &c. Luke xi. verfes 2, 3, 4. and he faid unto them, When ye pray, fay, Our Father, &c.

187. c Mat. vi. 9. compared with Luke xi. 2. (See above in letter b.) 189. d Mat. vi. 9.

Luke xi. 13. If ye then, being e

other child-like difpofitionsf, heavenly affections g, and duè apprehenfions of his fovereign power, majefty, and gracious condefcenfion b: 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 k) 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 esteem him m, his titlesz, attributeso,

vil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more fhall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that afk him? Rom. viii. 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

f Ifa. Ixiv. 9. Be 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 dwellest in the heavens. Lam. iii. 41. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

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b Ifa. lxiii. 16. Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory where is thy zeal and thy Atrength, 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 everlafting. 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 hea

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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.

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

m Pfal. Ixvii. 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.

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

• Pfal. lxxxvi. 10. For thou art great, and doft wondrous things: thou art God alone. v. 11. Teach

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ordinances, word p, works, and whatfoever he is pleafed to make himself known by q, and to glorify him in thought, word r, and deed f: that he would prevent and remove atheism t, ignorance v, idolatry w, profanenefs,

me thy way, O Lord, I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. v. 12. I will praife thee, 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 haft de livered 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.

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

☛ Pfal. ciii. 1. Bless the Lord, O my foul and all that is within me, blefs his holy name. Pfal. xix. 14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy fight, O Lord my ftrength, and my redeemer.

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

ment.

Pfal. lxvii. 1. God be merciful unto us, and blefs 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 shalt judge the people righteoufly, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.

2 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. Pfal. cxlvii. 19. He fheweth his word unto Jacob, his ftatutes and his judgments unto Ifrael. V. 20. He hath not dealt fo with any nati on: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praife ye the Lord. Pfal. cxxxviii. 1. I will praise thee with my whole heart, before the gods will I fing praife 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 anfweredst me and ftrengthenedft me with strength 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 Chrift, in them that are faved, and in them that perish. w Pfal. xcvii. 7. Confounded be q Pfal. cxlv. throughout. I will all they that ferve graven images,

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

that

nefsx, and whatfoever is difhonourable to him y; and, by his over-ruling providence, direct and difpofe of all things to his own glory z.

Q: 191 What do we pray for in the second petition?

A. In the fecond petition (which is, Thy kingdom come a) acknowledging ourselves 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 gofpel propagated through

that boast themselves of idols: worfhip him, all ye gods.

V. 22.

* Pfal. Ixxiv. 8. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blafphemed thy name. Arife, O God, plead thine own caufe: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily. v. 23. Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of thofe that rife up against thee, increaseth 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 haft made heaven and earth. v. 16. Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear open, Lord, thine eyes, and fee and hear the words of Sennacherib, who hath fent him to reproach the living God.

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z 2 Chron. xx. 6. And (Jehofhaphat) 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 withftand 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. II. 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 great company that cometh againft us: neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. Pfal. Ixxxiii. throughout. Keep not thou filence, O God: hold not thy peace, &c. Pfal. cxl. 4. Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked, 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.

b Eph. ii. 2. Wherein in time past, ye walked according to the courfe 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 in times paft, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind: and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

c Pfal. Ixviii. 1. Let God arise, let his enemies be fcattered: let them alfo that hate him, flee before

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