EVIDENCES OF FORGIVENESS. 207 with us in our addresses to God in prayer. Hence he teaches and enjoins us to pray, or plead for the forgive- ness of our debts to God, (that is, our sins or trespasses against him, which make us debtors to his law and jus- tice,) even as we forgive them that so trespass or offend against us as to stand in need of our forgiveness. Matt. 6 : 12. Many are ready to devour such as are not sa- tisfied that the words of that rule of prayer which he bath- prescribed are to be precisely read or repeated every day. I wish they would as heedfully mind the prescription here given us for that frame of heart and spirit which ought to be in all our supplications ; it might possibly abate their wrath in that and other things. But here is a rule for all prayer, as all acknow- ledge; as also of the things that are requisite to make it acceptable. This in particular .. is required, that before the Searcher of all hearts, and in our addresses to him in our greatest concerns, we profess our sincerity in the discharge of this duty, and put our obtaining of what we desire on that issue. This is a crown, put upon the head of this duty which makes it very eminent, and evidences the great concern of the glory of God and our own souls therein. Again we may observe that no other duty whatever is expressly placed in the same order or rank with this.; which shows that it is singled out to be professed as a token and pledge of our sincerity in all other parts of our obedience to Go.d.. It is by Christ himself made the instance for the trial of our sincerity in our universal obedience, which gives no small honor to it. The apos- tle puts great weight on the fifth commandment, " Ho- nor thy father and thy mother, because it is the first commandment with promise." Ephes..6 : 2. All the commandmentsindeed had a promise : Do this and live ; life was promised to the observance of them all. But this is the first that had a peculiar promise annexed to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=