on the Lord's Pr dyer. pray over again all that we had prayed before, an~ In one Word beg of . God that he would give us all that he had before asked o~ htm. · And therefore whether we pray our felves, or join in Prayers with orhers, and make their Petitions ours, we ought to atteft our Underftanding of, our Alfeot unto and our earneft Defires after, the Mercies that are begged, by fealing up the Prayer; with an Amen. And certainly it would be a very befeeming Thing if Amens were audible and founding, unlefs we ate a!hamed to be thoughr ro pray when others pray and to make ufc of other Expreffions to prefenr our Petitions. When we come to the Publick Wor{hip we are nor to look upon the Miniller only as praying for the Peo· pie, but he is the Peoples Mouth unto God, and it is or ought to be the Prayer of the whole Congregation which he prefenrs. They pray with him, and by him; . and every Petition that he makes to God ought to be ratified with an .Amen fenr ffom our very Hearrs.: Which ifwefincerely and affeaionately perform, we have abundant A!furance that what is confirmed by lo many Suffrages on Earth, lball likewife be confirmed by our Father whicb is in Heaven. And how Beautifu1, how Becoming, would this he when the whole Church fhall thus Confpire together in rheir Reque!ls 1 St. }trom tells us, It W4$lht Cuflom in his Day.r to c/ofe up.every Prayer with fuch nn unanimous Confenr, th11t their Amens rNn andeccbotd in the ChNrch, and founded likerbe Fall afWatm, or rbe Naife afTbunder. This would be a Teftimony of our hearty Confent to the Things we pray for. And if any Two that lball agree upon Earrh, touching any Thing that they lhall ask, they !hall have it granted rbem, a~ our Saviour bath promiled, Mattb. t 8. r9. then certainly the joint Prayers ofa whole Multitude of Chri!lians mull needs have a kind of Omnipotency in them, and be able to do any Thing with God. And thus I have, with God's Affillance, given you a brief Expajition of this moft Excellent Prayer of our Savio•r; the Lord Sanaifie it unto yon, and make it a Means ~o help you to pray with more Underllanding, with fironger Faith, and with greater Fervency. The End of tbt Larger Expo[ttiOf!; A
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