What Doth the Preface of the Lord's Prayer Teach Us?

Answ. The preface to the Lord’s prayer (which is, Our Father which art in heaven, J teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence as children to a father, able and ready to help us-; and that we should pray with and for others.

Q. What is thepreface to the Lord’s prayer?. A. Our Father which art in Heaven, Matth. vi. 9.

Q. Whose Father is God? A. He is the Father

of all men by creation and preservation, the Father of church-members by external covenant-relation, and the Father of true believers, by regeneration and adoption.

Qj. May unbelievers call God their Father when they pray to him? A.- Yes, if they understand it in a consistency with their state.

Q. What for a Father is God?

A. A most honourable, rich, wise, kind, mighty, ancient, and eternal Father.

Q, What child-like dispositions ought God’s children to have?

A. An awe of his majesty, patience under his rebukes, grief for his frowns, zeal for his honour, thankfulness for his favours, contentment with their provision, obedience to his laws, and an affectionate- love to him and his children, Mai. i. 6. Psalm xxxix. 9. lxix. 9. and ciii, cxvi.

Q. What doth the preface to the Lord’s prayer teach us in general?: A. To begin our prayers with exalted and adoring views of God, Neh.ix. 5, .6.

O. Why is this necessary? - A. That our heart may be- suitably impressed in the whole of the duty.

Q. What doth God’s being called Father in this pre* face teach us?

A. That in prayer we should draw near to God with love, boldness, familiarity, and confident faith of success JLph. iii. 12. Heb. iv. 16. and x. 22. G g3

Q. What doth his being represented as in heaven teach us?

A. To pray with great reverence and humility, and to be most intent on heavenly things, Eccl. v. 2. Col. iii.

Q. What doth his being called our, not my Father, teach us?

A. That we should pray with and /or others. Q. Why should we pray with others? A. Because unitedj prayer is most effectual and prevalent. Q. How are we to be exercised when joining with another, as our mouth in prayer? A. In assenting with our heart to the requests contained in his words. Q. Why should we pray /or others? A. To glorify God, and testify our love to our neighbours. £). How doth prayer for others glorify God? A, We thereby testify that we see in God more fulness and mercy than we can receive or contain.

£). How doth prayer for others testify our love to them?

A. As we thereby employ God to give them the richest blessings, and do them the greatest good.

£). On whom do we most advantageously bestow our prayers? A. On the saints •, for they can, and will

pray effectually for us, James v. 16. Eph. vi. 18, 19.

O, What in general do we pray for in the six petitions in the, Lord’s prayer?

A. In the three first we pray for the advancement of Gcd’s honour, and in the three last for our own happiness, Q. Why are these petitions that immediately concern God’s honour, placed first in order? A. To shew

as, that God’s honour is preferable to, and the spring of all cur ha-ppiness, 1 Cor. x. 31. 1 Peter iv. 11.

Q. What do we pray for with respect to God’s honour; A. That his name may be hallowed, his kingdom come, and his will be done, Matth. vi. 9, 10.

Q. What do we pray for with respect to our own happiness?

A. Provision to our body; pardon of sin, and preservation from it, to our soul, Matth. vi. 11, 12, 13.

O. How many of the petitions are for temporal mercies? A. Only one; namely, the fourth.

0.- Why ls there but one Petition *°r temporal mercies I A. To leach us to be more earnest for spiritual blessings.

Qj Why is the petition for temporal mercies placed before these for pardon of sin, and preservation from it?

A. Because our daily bread is a positive mercy j and we cannot receive pardon of, or preservation from sin, unless we have a natural subsistence in this world.

£).„Why are these three last petitions coupled together by the particle and? A. To shew us, that outward

advantages are useless to us without pardon of sin, and pardon insufficient without preservation from it.

Q. Why are we taught to use the terms our and us in the three last petitions? A. To teach us to pray for

temporal mercies, pardon of sin, and preservation from it,, to others as well as ourselves.