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16. The conclusion of this divine prayer, commonly called The Doxology, is a solemn thanksgiving, a compendious acknowledgment of the attributes and works of God. "For thine is the Kingdom;" the sovereign right of all things that are, or ever were created: yea, thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages. "The Power:" the executive power whereby thou governest all things in thy everlasting kingdom, whereby thou dost whatsoever pleaseth thee, in all places of thy dominion. "And the Glory;" the praise due from every creature, for thy power, and the mightiness of thy kingdom, and for all thy wondrous works which thou workest from everlasting, and shalt do, world without end, for ever and ever! Amen! So be it!

I believe it will not be unacceptable to the serious Reader to subjoin,

A PARAPHRASE

ON

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

1 FATHER of all, whose powerful voice,
Call'd forth this universal frame;
Whose mercies over all rejoice,
Through endless ages still the same:
Thou, by thy Word, upholdest all,
Thy bounteous Love to all is shew'd;
Thou hear'st thy every creature's call,
And fillest every mouth with good.

2 In heaven thou reign'st, enthron'd in light,
Nature's expanse beneath thee spread ;
Earth, air, and sea, before thy sight,
And hell's deep gloom are open laid;

Wisdom, and might, and love are thine:
Prostrate before thy face we fall,
Confess thine attributes divine,

And hail Thee Sovereign Lord of All.

3 Thee, Sovereign Lord, let all confess,
That moves in earth, or air, or sky;
Revere thy power, thy goodness bless,
Tremble before thy piercing eye.
All ye who owe to Him your birth,
In praise your every hour employ:
JEHOVAH reigns! Be glad, O earth!
And shout, ye morning-stars, for joy.

4 SON of thy SIRE's eternal love,

Take to thyself thy mighty power;
Let all earth's sons thy mercy prove,
Let all thy bleeding grace adore.
The triumphs of thy love display,
In every heart reign thou alone;
Till all thy foes confess thy sway,
And glory ends what grace begun.

5 SPIRIT of Grace, and health, and power,
Fountain of light and love below;
Abroad thine healing influence shower,
O'er all the nations let it flow.
Inflame our hearts with perfect love,
In us the work of faith fulfil;
So not heaven's host shall swifter move
Than we on earth to do thy will.

6 Father, 'tis thine each day to yield
Thy children's wants a fresh supply :
Thou cloth'st the lilies of the field,
And hearest the young ravens cry.

On thee we cast our care; we live

Through thee, who know'st our every need; O feed us with thy grace, and give Our souls this day the living bread.

7 Eternal, spotless LAMB of GOD, Before the world's foundation slain, Sprinkle us ever with thy blood,

Ó cleanse and keep us ever clean. To every soul (all praise to thee!) Our bowels of compassion move: And all mankind by this may see

God is in us; for God is Love.

8 Giver and LORD of Life, whose power
And guardian care for all are free;
To thee in fierce temptation's hour,
From sin and Satan let us flee.
Thine, Lord, we are, and our's thou art,

In us be all thy goodness shew'd;

Renew, enlarge, and fill our heart

With peace, and joy, and heaven, and God.

9 Blessing and honour, praise and love, Co-equal, Co-eternal THREE,

In earth below, in heaven above,

By all thy Works be paid to thee. Thrice holy, thine the kingdom is, The power omnipotent is Thine; And when created nature dies,

Thy never-ceasing Glories shine.

SERMON XXIX.

DISCOURSE VII.

ON OUR LORD's SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

MATTHEW vi. 16-18.

"Moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

"That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."

1. IT has been the endeavour of Satan from the beginning of the world, to put asunder what God hath joined together; to separate inward from outward Religion, to set one of these at variance with the other. And herein he has met with no small success, among those who were "ignorant of his devices."

Many, in all ages, having a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge, have been strictly attached to the "righteousness of the law," the performance of outward duties, but in the mean time wholly regardless of inward righteousness,

"the righteousness which is of God by faith." And many have run into the opposite extreme, disregarding all outward duties, perhaps, even "speaking evil of the law, and judging the law," so far as it enjoins the performance of

them.

2. It is by this very device of Satan, that faith and works have been so often set at variance with each other. And many who had a real zeal for God, have, for a time, fallen into the snare on either hand. Some have magnified faith to the utter exclusion of good works, not only from being the cause of our justification (for we know that man is "justified freely by the redemption which is in Jesus") but from being the necessary fruit of it, yea, from having any place in the Religion of Jesus Christ. Others, eager to avoid this dangerous mistake, have run as much too far the contrary way; and either maintained, That good works were the cause, at least the previous condition of justification; or spoken of them as if they were all in all, the whole Religion of Jesus Christ.

3. In the same manner have the end and the means of Religion, been set at variance with each other. Some wellmeaning men, have seemed to place all Religion, in attending the prayers of the Church, in receiving the Lord'ssupper, in hearing sermons, and reading books of piety: neglecting, mean time, the end of all these, The love of God and their neighbour. And this very thing has confirmed others in the neglect, if not contempt of the ordinances of God, so wretchedly abused, to undermine and overthrow the very end they were designed to establish.

4. But of all the means of grace there is scarce any concerning which men have run into greater extremes, than that of which our Lord speaks in the above mentioned words, I mean, religious fasting. How have some exalted this beyond all Scripture and Reason! And others utterly disregarded it! As it were, revenging themselves, by undervaluing, as much as the former had overvalued it. Those have spoken of it, as if it were all in all; if not the end itself, yet infallibly connected with it: these, as if it

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