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SERMON X.

MATTHEW Vi. 13th.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

TAVING finished what I intended on

HAV

the former part of the Lord's Prayer, I am now to discourse on the Conclufion, which contains first, a doxology, or folemn giving glory to God, thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever; and fecondly, an expreffion of our full approbation of, and hearty confent to the whole prayer, in the word, Amen. I fhall therefore explain the meaning of these words, and fhew what fense we ought to have in our minds, when we express them; and

then

then obferve what duties we may learn, and are instructed in, by the ufe thereof.

Thefe words may be understood as a recognition and acknowledgment of the greatnefs and majesty of God, and may be thus paraphrased. We heartily acknowledge thy fupreme dominion over us, and the whole world; we adore and worship thee as the great King, the Sovereign Lord of all. We also humbly admire and praise that infinite power, whereby thou governest the world, and ordereft all the affairs of it according to thine own pleasure; and we give thee the glory of thy Greatness and Power, for all the good thou doft to any, especially for what thou bestoweft on us': and laftly, we hereby acknowledge that God is unchangeable; that he ever was, and will be, as great, powerful, and glorious

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as he now is, being infinitely and eternally the fame, yesterday, to-day and for ever.

. We may also understand thefe words as affigning some reasons inducing us to ask, and God to grant us our several requests; and the connection between these words, and the foregoing petition by the word For, feems to favour this interpretation. And then the full fenfe that we ought to have in our minds, when we fay this Conclufion of the Lord's Prayer, will be thus.

And having now offered up our Petitions

for what we want, it is but fit that we should also render thee our praise and thanks for what we have received. We therefore acknowledge that thou art a great King, whom we ought to worship with the lowest reverence, and that thy Power is infinite

to

We

to grant what we have requested. confess that thý Glory is above all, and humbly defire that thou mayeft be glorified in all things. Lastly we acknowledge, that thy kingdom, power, and glory are for ever, eternal and immutable; and therefore we will at all times put our whole trust in thee, because thou canft never fail us.

From this form of praife being added by our Lord, to that form of Prayer which he hath taught us to use, we may learn, that it is always our duty to join to our prayers for what we want, our praises and thankf givings alfo for the mercies that we have received, with joyful acknowledgments of his majefty, greatnefs and bounty; that we should pray without ceafing, and in every thing give thanks, and by prayer and fupplication with thankfgiving let our requests be made known unto God. And in particular

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cular from the first clause of this doxology, for thine is the kingdom, we are reminded that it is our duty in all things to fubmit to the will of God, and to refign ourselves to his disposal, he having fovereign dominion over all.

From the fecond claufe of it, thine is the power, we should learn that it is our duty, in all straits and difficulties to apply for his grace to help, direct, and support us, and in all our dangers and wants to rely on his Almighty Power, to relieve and deliver us.

From the third claufe of it, thine is the glory, we are taught to direct all our actions to his Glory, to whom we here acknowledge that all the glory is due. According to the Apostle therefore, whether

ye

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