Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord 1 Pet. i. 3. Jefus Chrift, who according to his great mercy hath begot us again to a living hope, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead. The refurrection to life eternal as it is the highest privilege of human nature, and the truest support of unrewarded virtue, so it is the gift of God in Chrift Jesus. He doth not, like an indiscreet Father, fo difproportion his mercy as to preferve his children tenderly during a fhort life, and to forget them when that life is over; but his equal and extensive goodness never deserts them; it fupports and comforts them in this world, and makes them eternally happy with himself in the next.

This then is the fenfe in which every one must be suppos'd to call God Father in this Prayer; first in the capacity of men profeffing him to be the giver of life, breath, and all things; and then in quality of Chriftians owning him the author of eternal life by the redemption. He that calls God Father, faith St. Chryfoftom &, in doing fo owns the remiffion of his fins, his adoption, his near relation to Christ, and the hope of a future refurrection.

8 Chryfoftom. in locum.

The

The second thing to be confider'd in this appellation is, that we acknowledge this our Father to be in heaven.

The Scriptures to accommodate themselves to human conceptions, talk of heaven as the place of God's more immediate refidence. It is therefore call'd there his throne, and his dwelling place. The tabernacle under the Law was in this refpect the pattern of things in the heavens; and that Shechinah, or glorious appearance that constantly attended it, was defign'd to poffefs the Jews with God's more especial prefence in that place. They from hence feem to have conceiv'd a vain notion, that all worship was confin'd to Jerufalem, and that their Prayers were not fo well affur'd of acceptance from any other place. Our Saviour therefore to oppose this narrow opinion, requires us to pray to our Father in heaven; fhewing by this, that our petitions have equal accefs to him from all places.

By declaring him to be in heaven, and yer commanding us to fend up our Prayers thither, he reminds us of that Omniprefence that fills all things. The good man is from hence affur'd that he hath a fanctuary near at hand in providence, and that he hath an Almighty Protector conftantly within call. Where

Wherever he goes he is affur'd that he is at no greater distance from his God, and that he hath allowance to approach him at all times, and from all places. His petitions are not so many fruitless unheard wishes; but they are fent to one, whofe Majesty fuffers him not to be unable to hear, nor his Goodness unwilling to help.

But farther, this acknowledgment of our Father in heaven fhews his great kindness in fuffering us to approach him. It is no finall condefcenfion for a great God to atI tend to the requests of his creatures, and though he be on high to behold the things that are done on earth. When we thus pray we are reminded that we, fo diftant in ftation and fo unprofitable in our fervice, are yet allow'd to fend up our low requests to heaven, and are affur'd there of a favourable hearing. How great is both the honour and the comfort, that that God, who is so far above all things, is ready to hear the Prayers of his indigent and diftrefs'd fervants, and when he hears their prayers will help them. His Majefty doth in this refpect fet off his condefcenfion; and we with more gratitude call God Father, when we at the fame time believe him to be in heaven. In fhort, by calling God our Father we exprefs the greatnefs of those bleffings we have receiv'd; and

by

by profeffing this our Father to be in heaven, we own the great dignity of the perfon that hath conferr'd them upon us; and the sense of both these together will naturally prepare our hope, reverence and attention, to fend up the following Prayer.

I now proceed to the practical ufes that arife from calling God our Father in Heaven.

The first practical use arifeth from the word Father, which familiar name naturally promiseth all reasonable hope of fuccefs. The other titles by which God chofe to be call'd under the old Law being drawn from his power and fuperiority, carry'd fome fort of diffidence along with them.

The names of God, Lord, Lord of Hofts, Jehova, did in their natural import exprefs his Majeffy diftinctly from his Goodnefs, and were therefore only qualify'd to raise in the minds of his worshippers terror without hope, and reverence without comfort. But the word Father, which our Saviour directs his disciples to use, expreffes all that mercy he reveal'd by his preaching, and feal'd by his blood. The Chriftian is hereby bid to hope in the entrance of his Prayers, and to promise himself all the tenderness that so near a relation includes. This is prov'd

by our Saviour from a familiar inftance of an earthly father, who without either goodness or discretion is very fuccessfully provident for his craving children. If ye being evil know Luke xi. how to give good gifts to your children, how 13. much more fhall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to those that ask him?

The bounty of an infinite Being to undeferving creatures, muft arife from fuch motives. as promise its continuance. It is not like the uncertain friendship of mortals, built upon capricious humours, or purchas'd by the mercenary profpect of returns. Neither gratitude. nor expectation can have any place with God, but thefe his favours flow from an unchangeable goodness, and an unweary'd delight in making his creatures happy. They could have no claim upon him when he created them out of nothing; and now that they are made, what are all their returns of praise and thanksgiving (and thofe are all the returns they can make) but fo much breath spent upon themselves?

Now if we confider the mercy of God in this light, (and the expreffion of Father natu rally leads us to do fo,) we have the utmost encouragement to ask, as St. James directs, James į. with faith, nothing wavering. The confi- 6. deration of fo much past goodness gives a fure