dovotions, by teaching them that excellent form ef prayer, which is called by his name, and is in constant use amongst Christians.

Our Father which art in Heaven. The great Creator and Preserver of men, may be, with the highest propriety, called our Father; for it is to his almighty power, that we owe our existance; he is, in a peculiar and distinguishing manner called the Father of spirits, because he alone is the author of all spiritual existance. The form of our bodies owes it's original to his boundless, unerring wisdom, and all our active powers are the produce of his all-creating goodness. Nor is it only by right of creation, that the eternal God may justly claim the title of our Father; but the same endearing appellations is due him on account of our daily preservation: he watches over us, with the care of a father, and we are constantly made sharers in the benefits of his paternal tenderness and protection. But there is still another and more emphatical sense, wherein God is the Father of his people: it is by the almighty power of his spirit, that they are regenerated; and this great work is frequently, in the New Testament, styled being born of God by this it is, that poor, lost, undone sinners, are formed anew, so that, partaking of his divine nature, they become his children indeed, and are permitted to lift up their eyes to the great King of the universe, and call him their Father. In the former sense, God is the Father of creation, and a parent to all his creatures, good or bad: but in the latter sense, he is a Father only to his own people, who are converted by his almighty power and spirit, enabled to believe in his Son, and to live such lives as are consistant with the rules of his gospel. Father, is the most grand and magnificent title which can be found in the whole compass of nature, and it conveys the most honourable and lovely idea that can be formed in the human mind: it is particularly happy in marking the essential character of the true God, who is the great Father of the universe. This noble and tender appellation, not only displays him as the first cause of all things, but gives us a beautiful and lovely idea of his tenderness & care, which he extends over all his creatures, whom he nourishes with an affection, and protects with a watchfulness and care, vastly superior to any earthly parent. We are permitted and encouraged to call the eternal God our Father, to encourage our hope in his goodness, and mercy, in granting us every request that is not improper to be bestowed: for a father would not deny a petition to a child, if it was in his power to give, and the petition was fit to be granted: and at the same time, our being permitted to call God our Father, should raise in us an holy emulation, by exciting us to ecnsider what sort of children we ought to be, who claim so high and honourable a relation. And our being exhorted to call God our Father, in the plural number, ought to put us in mind that we are brethren, the children of one com mon parent, and that we should love one another in sincerity, and sincerely, and fervently pray for the good of each other.

Which art in Heaven. By these words, we are commanded to express the glory, majesty, and power of the great God: his presence is not confined to the heavenly worlds; the heaven of heavens cannot contain him; the whole universe lies open to his eye: his presence extends itself through the infinitude of space: at one vast comprehensive view, he beholds the whole creation, past, present, and to come, heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool; the night and the day, the darkness and the light, are equal to him, he sees all things both in heaven and in earth; even hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering." But, by God's being in heaven, we are to understand, that this is the place where his glories are plainest seen, and where he is best worshipped.

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Hallowed be thy name. By the name of God, the Hebrews understood the divine Majesty himself, all his attributes, and his works; and therefore, we are to understand by this petition, a desire in the worshipper, that the honour, dignity, glory, and majesty of the great Creator, may be displayed

and an acknowledgement of his superior wisdom, and our own blindness and folly, tends to the ease and quiet of our minds, when we are oppressed and afflicted, and cannot discern the wise ends of his dispensations.Blessed" said our great Redeemer, are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." And though the sense of our own meanness and unworthiness might excite us to mourn, and fill us with sorrow of heart, the divine teacher informed his hearers, that this was a true sign of succeeding happiness: "Blessed," said he, "are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Our exalted Redeemer further proceeded to inform his attentive hearers, that true happiness did not consist in the gratification of their inordinate passions and inclinations, but in the suppressing of them, and keeping them within the bounds of reason and religion."Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The divine teacher then proceeded to observe, that happiness did not consist in what the world calls conquest and glory; for tyrants and conquerors, who disturb the peace, and destroy the comforts of mankind are most deplorably miserable : but true happiness falls to the share of those who are lovers of peace, and seek to promote kindness, benevolence, and all the social affections amongst men; for they imitate the perfection of heavenly goodness, which so conspicuously shines in their Maker, and will therefore be called his children."Blessed are the peace-makers," said our exalted Redeemer, for they shall be called the children of God." And if these holy and amiable persons, should not at first find that happiness, which they are entitled to as heirs of heaven; though they should be reviled and persecuted by the wicked of this world; though they should be deprived of their comforts, and undergo the severest trials; yet the great Saviour of mankind. pronounces them blessed. "Blessed" said he, are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Solid contentment and true happiness, the heavenly teacher informs us, are not to be expected from the praise of men, nor from the noise of popular applause, but will hereafter be the portion of those who are falsely reviled for their integrity and uprightness, and their steady attachment to the truth; such persons measurably partake of the sufferings of CHRIST: and it was by these persecutions, and the contempt of the world, that the prophets have been in all ages distinguished. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Such were the declarations of the Son of God, with reference to the happiness of man; after which, the blessed JESUS addressed himself to his disciples, and pointed out their duty as preachers of the Gospel, designed by the sovereign Ruler of all things, to teach his will, and lead others in the paths of eternal happiness. But, as the doctrine which he had advanced was so directly contrary to the tradition of the Scribes and Pharisees, our Redeemer thought it necessary to inform his disciples, that he had no intention to destroy the moral precepts contained in the law and the prophets, but to fulfil and confirm them. Nothing is more firm, and fixed on a more immovable basis, than the great precepts of morality: these, being copied from the perfections of God, must remain fixed and immovable : the eternal laws of righteousness cannot be altered; heaven and earth will pass away, but the moral law of God will always remain the same. This our great Redeemer strictly enjoined his disciples to inforce in the strongest manner, both by precept and example; and gave them several instances in which the Scribes and Pharisees had interpreted the mora! law in too loose and careless a manner. He then condescended to assist their

dovotions, by teaching them that excellent form ef prayer, which is called by his name, and is in constant use amongst Christians.

Our Father which art in Heaven. The great Creator and Preserver of men, may be, with the highest propriety, called our Father; for it is to his almighty power, that we owe our existance; he is, in a peculiar and distinguishing manner called the Father of spirits, because he alone is the author of all spiritual existance. The form of our bodies owes it's original to his boundless, unerring wisdom, and all our active powers are the produce of his all-creating goodness. Nor is it only by right of creation, that the eternal God may justly claim the title of our Father; but the same endearing appellations is due him on account of our daily preservation: he watches over us, with the care of a father, and we are constantly made sharers in the benefits of his paternal tenderness and protection. But there is still another and more emphatical sense, wherein God is the Father of his people it is by the almighty power of his spirit, that they are regenerated; and this great work is frequently, in the New Testament, styled being born of God by this it is, that poor, lost, undone sinners, are formed anew, so that, partaking of his divine nature, they become his children indeed, and are permitted to lift up their eyes to the great King of the universe, and call him their Father. In the former sense, God is the Father of creation, and a parent to all his creatures, good or bad: but in the latter sense, he is a Father only to his own people, who are converted by his almighty power and spirit, enabled to believe in his Son, and to live such lives as are consistant with the rules of his gospel. Father, is the most grand and magnificent title which can be found in the whole compass of nature, and it conveys the most honourable and lovely idea that can be formed in the human mind: it is particularly happy in marking the essential character of the true God, who is the great Father of the universe. This noble and tender appellation, not only displays him as the first cause of all things, but gives us a beautiful and lovely idea of his tenderness & care, which he extends over all his creatures, whom he nourishes with an affection, and protects with a watchfulness and care, vastly superior to any earthly parent. We are permitted and encouraged to call the eternal God our Father, to encourage our hope in his goodness, and mercy, in granting us every request that is not improper to be bestowed: for a father would not deny petition to a child, if it was in his power to give, and the petition was fit to be granted: and at the same time, our being permitted to call God our Father, should raise in us an holy emulation, by exciting us to consider what sort of children we ought to be, who claim so high and honourable a relation. And our being exhorted to call God our Father, in the plural number, ought to put us in mind that we are brethren, the children of one com mon parent, and that we should love one another in sincerity, and sincere→ ly, and fervently pray for the good of each other.

Which art in Heaven. By these words, we are commanded to express the glory, majesty, and power of the great God: his presence is not confined to the heavenly worlds; the heaven of heavens cannot contain him; the whole universe lies open to his eye: his presence extends itself through the infinitude of space: at one vast comprehensive view, he beholds the whole creation, past, present, and to come, heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool; the night and the day, the darkness and the light, are equal to him, he sees all things both in heaven and in earth; even hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering." But, by God's being in heaven, we are to understand, that this is the place where his glories are plainest seen, and where he is best worshipped.

Hallowed be thy name. By the name of God, the Hebrews understood the divine Majesty himself, all his attributes, and his works; and therefore, we are to understand by this petition, a desire in the worshipper, that the honour, dignity, glory, and majesty of the great Creator, may be displayed

and exalted amongst men; as much as though we should pray, may thy existence be universally believed, thy supremacy over all things acknowledged, thy goodness believed and confided in, and may all men think well, honorably, and worthily of thee, of all thy works, and all thy ways, and all thy dealings towards them.

Thy kingdom come. May thy glorious gospel, and the spiritual kingdom of thy Son, be extended over the whole earth; and may all ignorance, superstition, idolatry, and iniquity, be driven before the glorious rising of the Sun of righteousness.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. May the sons of men be turned from darkness to light, and from sin and Saturn to the knowledge of thyself, and by the divine aids of thy Spirit, may they be enabled to do thy will, as steadily and sincerely, though not with such perfection, as it is done by the angels of light in the heavenly world.

Give us this day our daily bread. Be pleased, O thou great Parent of the universe! who suppliest all thy creatures from the rich fountain of thy fullness, to give us, day by day, such a portion of thy creature comforts, as may enable us to serve thee with cheerfulness and satisfaction of mind.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. God being the su preme and righteous Governor of the world, he hath a right to punish those who break his just and equitable laws. The suffering of punishment is therefore a debt, which sinners owe to supreme justice: and when we are commanded to pray, that God will forgive us our debts, the meaning is, that he will remit that dreadful punishment due to our sins. This enor mous debt, the great King of the universe, on account of the satisfaction which his justice has received, in the blood and righteousness of his Son, is ready to forgive to all that believe in him, with such a lively and powerful faith, as produces a steady and prevailing obedience to his gospel. But the infinite mercy of God in forgiving our transgressions, ought at all times to be remembered by us, in such a manner as to soften our minds, and inspire them with a readiness to forgive those who have transgressed against us. We give but a poor evidence, that by a sincere and influential faith, we are become partakers of divine forgiveness, if we indulge an unforgiving temper of mind, and pursue with inexorable and implacable resentment, those who have transgressed against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Deliver us, O thou eternal Father of our spirits! thou great maker and supporter of the feeble frame of our bodies! from such temptations as thou knowest will be too hard for us. Preserve us, O Lord! from such temptations as are too powerful for human nature, either by removing them from us, or granting such a measure of thy grace, and such assistance from the holy Spirit, as may enable us to overcome. Make us sensible, O our God! how weak and frail we are; may we never presume on our own strength, but depending on thy grace, may we, in thy might, be enabled to overcome all our spiritual foes, and be preserved to thy heavenly kingdom.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for eter and ever. Thou, O God! art the eternal, universal monarch, thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion extendeth over all: the government of the universe is thine, and thou reignest the great independent king of the creation: thou, by thine infinite power, first didst establish, and now preservest the stupenduous frame of nature: all power in heaven and earth is in thine hand, thou canst do what thou pleasest, and none can stay thine hand, or say unto thee, What doest thou? Thou art able, by thine almighty power, to protect and defend all thy faithful servants; and thou holdest omnipotence in thine hand to crush thy daring foes. Thou art all perfect and all glorious; thou art possessed of every attribute and every perfection which justly renders thee the object of supreme adoration and e delight of the whole rational and intelligent creation. We adore thine

Almighty, thine irresistible power; we venerate thy boundless, thine unsearchable wisdom; we reverence thine impartial, thine inflexible justice; we rejoice in the glories of thine all-supporting goodness: and exulc in the contemplation of thine immutable mercy. Open our eyes, O Lord! that we may see thy glory. May we be enabled at all times to bless and praist thy holy name, and may we be of the number af those, whose delightful employment will be to do thy will, and sing thy praises for ever and ever. Such was the prayer which the Son of God, himself delivered to the. multitude who surrounded liim; from which it may be learned, that the great King of the universe, who is seated on the exalted throne of heaven, surrounded by angels and archangels, and constantly adored by all the holy and happy inhabitants of the upper world, is so kind and condescendingly good, as to hear the cries, and attend to the petitions of sinful man.What an animating heart reviving thought it is, that poor, frail, sinful creatures are permitted to stand before the throne of the eternal God, and call him our Father! The glimmering light of the dim-winking taper, which, sleeps in its socket, is not more exceeded by the splendour and glory of the sun shining in his strength, than the brightness of the throne, the extent of the dominions, the power, glory, and majesty of the great King of the creation, exceeds the most exalted prince on earth. Earthly princes are so proud, and their ministers and attendants so covetous and haughty, that they are rendered inaccessible to the greater part of their subjects; but the great Monarch of the universe, the supreme Lord of heaven and earth, is ea sy of access; he calls upon sinners to seek his face, and the meanest of mankind may at all times have free access to his exalted throne. How blind and stupid, how regardless of their best interests, how cruel to themselves are those men who will not pray! We are poor necessitous cratures, we stand in need of various blessings; God hath all things to give; and God hath said," ask and ye shall receive :" he hath erected a throne of grace, and is at all times ready to hear and answer our prayers; and shall we be so very deficient as not to pray? Shall we, when in distress,and pressed with the most urgent necessities, stand at a gloomy distance, and refuse to ask? What folly and madness is this? It is highly incumbent on all who have neglected this duty, to consider their ways, to treasure up our Lord's words in their hearts, and daily, with fervent prayer, approach the throne of that God, who is willing to hear, and able to help, in every time of need. And when we seriously reflect on this excellent prayer proposed by the Son of God, and are admiring the vast extent of divine mercy and forgiveness we ought to remember, that in this prayer, we are re-, minded of our duty to forgive one another; and we may learn from hence, that a mild, placable, forgiving spirit, is not only well pleasing to our heavenly Father, but has a manifest tendency in it's own nature, to prepare us, in the habitual temper of our minds, for the forgiveness of God.

The next point, which our Lord treated on, in his admirable sermon, was the duty of fasting. In this part of his discourse, he severely blamed the conduct of the Pharisees, who made the greatest ostentation of their religion, and were particularly fond of mortification and lasting. Hence, that they might be remarked for superior degrees of strictness and sanctity, and appear to men of the most recluse and mortified dispositions, they dis-. figured their faces, and appeared with sad and sorrowful countenances; but our Lord enjoins us not to perform our religious exercises, with design. to be seen of men, with all uprightness and sincerity of heart, to regard the omnipresence of our heavenly Father, who seeth in secret" and will "reward openly" all his faithful worshippers. The divine orator then turned his discourse to another subject, and inculcated the necessity of heavenly-mindedness on his attentive and respectful audience. So vastly impor tant in their nature, and extensive in their duration are the concerns of the soul above those of the body, that it is the highest wisdom of man, closely

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