as to the manner of defiring them, he can no more utter this petition with true devotion, than any of the former; because he doth not depend on God, nor expect those things from his bleffing, but from his own industry and cunning; for if he regarded them as divine bleffings, he would not acquire them by fraud and injuftice, extortion and oppreffion. Nor can the wicked man with true devotion fay, forgive us our trefpaffes, for though pardon of fins is what he wants, and ought earnestly to wifh God would grant, yet it is abfurd to imagine, he would offer up any petition to God, the matter of which he himself knows is highly unreasonable; and what can be more unreasonable or unfit for God to grant, or more profane and prefuming in any to afk, than that he would pardon an unrepenting finner. To afk this of God is the fame as to defire him to abrogate all his holy laws, and to grant VOL. IV.

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us a license to tranfgrefs them. As little can a wicked man fincerely pray, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for as every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own luft, this is what the wicked man chufes, he gives himself up to his own heart's lufts, and delights to follow his wicked imaginations, fo that to pray against temptation, is to pray against himself, and therefore he cannot be hearty in this petition, unless we fuppofe what is impoffible; that a man should at the fame time love and hate, chuse and refuse the same things. Laftly, when fuch. an one fays, for thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever, which is both an acknowledgement of the infinite and adorable perfections of God, and giving him the praise and glory due unto him, how can it be fuppofed his heart fhould go along with his words, when at

the

the fame time it appears by the whole course and tenor' of his wicked life, that' he neither owns the fovereign 'dominion of God, dreads his power, nor feeks his glory,

Thus it is very evident that a wicked man continuing fuch, cannot fay this prayer or any one petition in it, with good attention and fervent devotion; nor can he have fuch inward affections of mind towards God, as the words exprefs, nor any hearty defire to obtain those things which he seems to requeft of God; for if he had, he would foon become a better man. Whereas every good man by using this prayer, muft naturally be rendered better. Since when he calls on God as his Father, he is reminded of that filial love and duty which he owes him; when he prays that God's name may be hallowed, his own mind muft then alfo Q 2

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be filled with an awful reverence towards him; when he fays thy kingdom come, he is at the fame time admonished to feek firft the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; when he fays thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, he is then taught his own duty humbly to refign himself to God's pleasure, and with all readiness and chearfulness to obey his commands. When he prays for his daily bread, he exercises an act of trust in God's providence, and is cautioned not to use any means to procure the good things of this life, but what he hath reafon to expect for God's bleffing upon. When he begs of God forgiveness of his fins, this petition must be grounded on the testimony of his own confcience, that he is truly penitent, and doth actually exercise such mercy and charity towards those who have offended him, as God hath made the condition of his being pardoned. When he defires

defires of God not to be led into temptation, if his requeft is fincere, he will carefully avoid thofe dangers, which he earnestly prays to be delivered from., Laftly, when he gives glory to God, by a folemn acknowledgement of the divine perfections, faying thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever, if he is really affected with what he expreffes, every time

- he devoutly repeats these words, his love to God will be increased, his faith ftrengthened, and his obedience confirmed.

To conclude; fuch being the excellency of this Prayer, fuch the advantages of our fincerely repeating it, what remains, but that, as the bleffed Jefus, in compaffion to our infirmities, hath taught us how to pray, so should we most earnestly implore his holy Spirit to affift us in Prayer, that by always pronouncing thefe words with

attention