A PraC!ical Expojition Grace of irfelfis not enough, for whence is it then that we have not committed the fame ~ins ~hat thofe have done, who yet have been fanaifi.ed, whofe foul Sins and fad M1c~rnages are recorded for our \~ arning? Are we more Holy than they ? Have we obram7d a greater Meafure ofSanaijication than they ? No, only our Gracious God by vouch!afing us a conftant Influence of his exciting Grace bath been plt:affd to keep us f~om th?feSins, into wh!ch he fuffers wicked Men to fall," and not only them, but fomeumes h1s own Dear Children al10. Well rhen, let not the {\:rung MarL glory in his Srren~th, but let him that glorieth glory .in the ~ord, for h~ is our Srren~th, and our Defiverer: What have we tbat we have not recewed? And if we have rewved it, wbyjhould we boafi M . if we bad not received it? fr is not what we ha\'e <~lrcaJy received, but what we are continually receiving from God, that makes us to diff(!r from the vHeft and moll profligate Sinners in the World. . And thus much !hall fuffice for the Way and Method how God dorh ddivcr usfrom Evil. Now that which we pray for in this P€tition is, Firft, That if it {hall plea le God ro lead us into Temptation, yet that he would not leave 'us under the Power of Temptation, bur with every Temptation be wo;t/d make a Way for us to efcape, that we may be able to bear it. St:condly, That if at any time Temptation fhould get the upper Hand, and prevail over us to the Commiffion of Sin, yet that God would not leave us under the Power of that Sin, bur raifeus up agai n by rrue Repentance, and godly Sorrow, that foat laft we may be delivered from the great and Soul-damning Evil of Obduration and lmpenitency. Thirdly, That God would not only deliver us from grofsand felf.condemning Impieties, bur from every Evil VVay and VVork, and preferve us blamelefsrothe Heavenly Kingdom of his Son. Fourthly, That he would be pleafed not only to deliver us from that which is in irfelf Evil, but from all the Occafions, and all the Appearances, of Evil, foJthefe alfo arc Evil, if not in Effea, yet in Teqclency. And thus now I have finifhed the Sixth and Lafi Petition of this mofl Excellent and Divine Prayer of our Saviour: And I nothing doubt but in the Difcou~fe s I ha VC' made Of it you have feen it verified .what ar fi.rft I affirmed of it; that it is a corn· prehentive Summary of all that we: can ask ofGod, whether it be fot Supplies ofour Temporal or Spiritual Warns, and that all other Prayers which we make are hut a C<Jmmentary upon this, drawing that out at length which here is clofdy wouhd up in one Bottom. This Prayer of our Saviour now expounded unto you confirts, as I told you in the Beginning, of Four Parts. Fir!l:, The Preface or lntroduflion, Our Forbtr. Secondly, The Requcfts or Petitions, which are Six. Thirdly, The Doxology or Praift. Ancltben, Jounhly, The Conclufion or Ratification of all in the VVord Amen. The Two · Firfl I have difpatched, I now come to the Third And that is the Doxology or Praife, for Praife is a neceffary Part ofPra et; this Praile now is here afbibed unto God, by afcribing unto him his Attributes, Thin( is the Kingdom, and rhe Power, and the Glory, fOr eVer. In which VVords Four of God's iiuriburer are mentioned and afcribed unto him~ Firfr~ His Sovereignty, Thine is the Kingdom. Secondly, His Omnipotency, Thine is tbc Power. Thirdly, His Excellency, Thine is the Glory. Fourthly, His Eternity, all thefe are thine for ev~r. . . The Kingdom is thine for ever. The Power 15 thme for ever. . The Glory IS th~ne for ever. For fo this Panicle for ever is to be diftr_ibuted unto each of the fOregoin.g Jittributcs. Now in afcribing· umo God theft: Attnbutes we may confider the Emt~ nency and rhe Propriety of them. . The Eminency ofthem in the Particle The, The Kmgdom, The Power, The Glory, denoting to us the highefl: and the chiefi::fr of all rhefe: For Hi& Kh1gdom is tha.t which rulerhover all. tlis J!ower that which no. Created PQwer can comroul. Hu Gl!Jry luch as frains all other Excellencies, :md makes all their Light and Luflre to be only the Shadow ofGod. . The Proprieryofthis Attribute in this Particle _Thine_! tho~gh others may have Kingd1ms , and Power, and Glory, yet th~f~ 1n the!I _Emmency belong only unro·God; they are thine, and thine only, O!lgtnally, lnfinttely, and Unchange~~~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=