on St. Paul's Inherent Grace; this temptation, this thorn at his breast (as they report of the nightingale) only makes him the more wakeful and vigilant. But, if God should have suspended his gracious influence, this thorn would sadly have wounded his conscience, by the commission of some foul and gross sin.

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Now, as all manner of sin lies couched and comprehended in that body of sin, which we carry about with us; so all manner of graces are couched also in that principle of grace, which God hath implanted in his own children: and when the Devil, by a temptation, calls forth a particular sin; God also, by his exciting influence, calls forth a particular contrary grace to hinder the commission of it. Thus, when they are tempted to pride, God calls forth humility to prick that swelling and puffy bladder. So, when they are tempted to wrath and passion, he stirs up meekness to oppose it when to a murmuring and repining at God's dispensations, he puts patience upon its perfect work. And, in brief, there is no one sin whatsoever, that the Devil can, by his temptations, stir up in the heart; but God also can, and often doth, stir up a contrary grace to quell and master it.

[3dly] But now there are Two Graces, which are more especially employed in this service: and they are an Awful Fear, and Filial Love of God.

And, therefore, when we pray that God would deliver us from evil,

(a) We pray, that he would so affect our hearts with that dread and reverence of his Holy Majesty, that we may not dare to commit the least sin, knowingly and willingly, against

him.

For the Fear of God is a powerful preservative, to withhold the soul from consenting to temptation; and, when we... are fully possessed with it, we shall be able to return that answer to every solicitation of the Devil, that Joseph did to the filthy enticements of his lewd mistress, How shall we do this thing, and sin against God? Yea, it will preserve us not only from the more gross and scandalous acts of sin, but from the secret lurking wickednesses that lie deep in the heart: 2 Cor. vii. 1. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness and pollution. both of flesh and spirit; perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Indeed, where this Fear of God is deeply implanted, it will keep us from offending him in our thoughts, as well as in

our actions. We shall be afraid to sin against him by hypocrisy, or unbelief, or impenitency; as well as by murder, or blasphemy, or any of those flagitious crimes, which not only the law of God, but the law of nature and right reason condemn.

(b) We pray, that God would so affect our hearts with a holy and filial Love of himself, that may sweetly and yet powerfully keep us from whatsoever may be an offence unto his Divine Majesty.

For Love would not willingly do any thing, that may offend or grieve the object loved. There is a holy ingenuity in this grace, that strongly engageth the heart to love what God loves, and to hate what he hates. Now the only object of God's hatred is sin; and, therefore, where the Love of God is implanted, it will cause such a divine sympathy of affection, that those, who love the Lord, will hate sin and iniquity; as the Psalmist speaks : Ps. xcvii. 10. And, certainly, hatred of sin is a most effectual means to keep us from committing of it.

And thus I have shewn you the methods, that God useth in delivering us from evil: by his Restraining Providence; by his Restraining Grace; and by his Sanctifying and Renewing Grace.

Hence, then, see to whom you are to ascribe your preservation from evil; and from those horrid sins, that others fall into. Sacrifice not to your own net; not to the freedom of your own wills, not to any excellency in your own disposition and temper, not to your natural aversation to what is wicked and impious: but give the praise and glory, both of what thou art and of what thou art not, wholly unto God. Thy nature is as sinful as the worst of men's; and, that thy life is not as sinful and wicked as the worst, proceeds only from the goodness and grace of God, which hath made the difference: yea, a difference little less than miraculous; for is it not a miracle, that, when the fountain is as bitter in our hearts as in the hearts of others, yet that the streams should not be so? Whence is it, that, since we have the same corrupt hearts with Cain and Judas, or any of the most branded wretches in the world for sin and wickedness, that yet we have not committed the like impieties with them; but that God hath either restrained or sanctified us? But Sanctifying Grace, of itself, is not enough for whence is it, then, that we have not committed the same sins, that those have done, who yet

have been sanctified; whose foul sins and sad miscarriages are recorded for our warning? Are we more holy than they? Have we obtained a greater measure of sanctification than they? No only our gracious God, by vouchsafing us a constant influence of his Exciting Grace, hath been pleased to keep us from those sins, into which he suffers wicked men to fall; and, not only them, but sometimes his own dear children also. Well, then, Let not the strong man glory in his strength; but, let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord: for he is our strength and our deliverer. What have we, that we have not received? and, if we have received it, why should we boast, as if we had not received it? It is not what we have already received, but what we are continually receiving from God, that makes us to differ from the vilest and most profligate sinners in the world.

And thus much shall suffice, for the way and method how God doth deliver us from evil.

Now that, which we pray for in this petition, is,

First. That if it shall please God to lead us into temptation, yet that he would not leave us under the power of temptation; but, with every temptation, he would make a way for us to escape, that we may be able to bear it.

Secondly, That if, at any time, temptation should get the upper hand, and prevail over us to the commission of sin, yet that God would not leave us under the power of that sin; but raise us up again, by true repentance and godly sorrow, that so, at last, we may be delivered from the great and souldamning evil of obduration and impenitency.

Thirdly. That God would not only deliver us from gross and self-condemning impieties; but from every evil way and work, and preserve us blameless to the heavenly kingdom of his Son.

Fourthly. That he would be pleased, not only to deliver us from that, which is in itself evil; but from all the occasions and all the appearances of evil: for these also are evil; if not in effect, yet in tendency.

And thus now I have finished the Sixth and Last Petition of this most Excellent and Divine Prayer of our Saviour. And, I nothing doubt, but, in the discourses I have made of it, you have seen it verified, what at first I affirmed of it: That it is a comprehensive summary of all that we can ask of God, whe ther it be for supplies of our temporal or spiritual wants; and

that all other prayers, which we make, are but a commentary upon this, drawing that out at length, which here is closely wound up in one bottom.

This Prayer of our Saviour, now expounded unto you, consists, as I told you in the beginning, of Four Parts.

The Preface, or Introduction; Our Father.

The Requests, or Petitions; which are six.
The Doxology, or Praise. And, then,

The Conclusion, or Ratification of all, in the word,
Amen.

The two first I have dispatched. I now come to the

III. Third: and that is the DOXOLOGY or PRAISE; for praise is a necessary part of prayer.

This praise now is here ascribed unto God, by ascribing unto him his Attributes: Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory for Ever.

In which words, Four of God's Attributes are mentioned, and ascribed unto him.

i. His Sovereignty: Thine is the Kingdom. ii. His Omnipotency: Thine is the Power. iii. His Excellency: Thine is the Glory.

iv. His Eternity: all these are thine for ever.

The Kingdom is thine for ever: the Power is thine for ever: the Glory is thine for ever. For so this particle, for ever, is to be distributed unto each of the foregoing Attributes. Now, in ascribing unto God these attributes, we may consider, the Eminency and the Propriety of them,

The Eminency of them in the particle the; THE Kingdom, THE Power, THE Glory: denoting to us the highest and the chiefest of all these. For his Kingdom is that, which ruleth over all his Power that, which no created power can controul: his Glory, such, as stains all other excellencies, and makes all their light and lustre to be only the shadow of God.

The Propriety of this attribute, in this particle, thine. Though others may have Kingdoms, and Power, and Glory; yet these, in their eminency, belong only unto God. They are thine; and thine only, originally, infinitely, and unchangeably.

Now all these attributes of God are annexed to the peti

tions of this prayer by the illative particle, for: FOR thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory. And this carries in it the strength and force of a reason; both why we pray unto God; and, likewise, why God should grant us those things, that we pray for.

First. We pray unto God: for his is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory for ever; and, therefore, he alone is able to relieve and supply us.

Secondly. We plead for the obtaining of those good things, which we ask of him therefore grant them unto us, FOR thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory for ever. This adds strong consolation and assurance to our faith, that we shall be heard in these requests that we present to God. 'For,

First. His is the Kingdom, and we are his subjects; and, therefore, we may depend upon him, as our king, for help and protection.

Secondly. His is the Power; and, therefore, he is able to sup ply and help us, and to do abundantly for us above what we can ask or think.

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Thirdly. His is the Glory; and, therefore, since what we ask is for his honour and praise, we may firmly believe our requests shall be granted unto us. And,

Fourthly. All these are his for ever; and, therefore, we may rest assured, that, at no time, our prayers shall be in vain; but, as it is the same unchangeable God, who, in former ages, hath done great things for and given great things unto his servants, who have called upon him; so he still retains the same power and the same compassion: his ear is not heavy, nor his arm shortened, nor his bowels withered; and, therefore, we may with assurance expect, that he will supply our wants, and grant our desires, since the treasures of his mercy are for ever unexhausted.

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Thus every word is a forcible reason, both to oblige us to address ourselves unto God; and, likewise, to move him to bestow upon us those good things, which we thus ask at his hands.

And from hence, by the way, we may observe two things: That, in our prayers, we ought to plead with God by weighty and enforcing Reasons.

That the most forcible reasons in prayer are to be taken from the Attributes of God.