great Being, and exhibiting these requirements, may embrace, and should embrace, are (following the order given in the Lord's Prayer), 1. Matters relating to God's glory. II. Matters relating to man's wants. The matters of the first class are embraced under these heads : 1. That God's name may be hallowed. Ps. cxlviii. 13; cxi. 9; viii. 1; Ex. xxxiv. 5, 6; 1 Peter, iii. 15; Rom. xv. 6; 1 Kings, v. 5. 2. That His Kingdom may come. Ps. ciii. 19; lxvii. 3, 4; Col. i. 13; Matt. xxv. 34; Rev. vi. 9, 10. 3. That His will may be obeyed. Luke, xxii. 42; Ps. cxliii. 10; ciii. 21. Those of the second class are: 1. Daily bread. Prov. xxx. 8; 1 Tim. vi. 8; 1 Kings, xvii. 6; Isa. xxxiii. 16; Matt. vi. 33; Ps. xxxiv. 9, 10; xxxvii. 18-25. 2. Forgiveness of sins. Ps. cxxx. 3; cxliii. 2; xxxii. 1, 2; li. 1-4; Acts, ii. 38; iii. 19; xiii. 38. 3. Preservation from temptation. Heb. ii. 18; 2 Sam. xxiv..1; 1 Sam. xvi. 14; Rev. iii. 10; 1 Cor. x. 13. 4. Deliverance from evil or the Evil One. 1 Peter, v. 8; 1 Chron. xxi. 1; Job, i. 6–8; Ps. cxix. 133; Zech. iii. 1. Or, to adopt a different arrangement for the matters of the second class, we may state them thus: 1. Personal Matters. II. Relative Matters: i. e. matters connected with us as individuals, and matters connected with us as related to other individuals. These may respectively embrace; the first, i. e. the personal: 1. Spiritual necessities, i. e. pardon of sin, &c., as above. 2. Bodily wants; protection from adversities; guidance; food; &c. Relative matters will include all matters connected with the various relationships in which we stand to our fellow-men. These relationships are especially three, viz.: 1. Natural: as belonging to the universal family of man. Mal. ii. 10; John, x. 16; Acts, xvii. 24-28; Rom. iii. 29. 2. Civil: as belonging to a commonwealth. Rom. xiii. 1-4; 1 Tim. ii. 1-4; Ezra, vi. 6–10; 2 Sam. xviii. 1-4. 3. Spiritual: as belonging to the Church of Christ. 1 Cor. xii. 12; Eph. ii. 19-22; Gal. vi. 10; 2 Cor. i. 11; ix. 14. 66 66 VI. The Times when such prayers may be offered are all times," or always," as the Scripture expresses it: that is, prayer is never out of season, and we should always be in the spirit for prayer: but the times of prayer are especially, 1. Daily: a morning and evening sacrifice at the xxviii. 2-4. 2. The Sabbath day a double portion. xxviii. 2-10; Hosea, xiv. 2. Numb. 3. In times of affliction and distress. James, v. 13; 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12; Jonah, ii. 1, 2; Isa. xxxviii.; Ps. 1. 15; cvii. 6. 4. In times of doubt and uncertainty. James, i. 5; 66 1 Kings, xxii. 5, &c.; Gen. xxiv. 10–14; xxxii. 9, 12. VII. The Places where such prayers may be offered are "all places," or " everywhere," as the Scripture has it: i.e. every place may be consecrated for prayer and by prayer; but to particularise we should mention three, viz.: 1. The closet. Matt. vi. 6; Acts, x. 9; Luke, vi. 12; ix. 18. 2. The family. Gen. xviii. 19; xii. 7; xiii. 18; xxi. 33; Job, i. 5; Acts, xii. 12; Deut. vi. 7. 3. The house of God. Isa. lvi. 7; Acts, iii. 1; xvi. 13; Luke, xviii. 10; Ps. lxxxiv.; Heb. x. 25; Mark, xi. 17. VIII. And to offer such prayers to such a Being, at such times and in such places for the objects specified, as we are incited by our sense of need, so are we encouraged by I. God's character; as 1. Able: seeing that He is (a) Almighty (see page 72). 2. Willing: shewn by (a) Promises given. (b) Promises fulfilled. II. Christ's intercession for us with God; for He is 1. One who can feel for us. Heb. ii. 14-18; iv. 15, 16; v. 1-10. 2. One who has influence. Matt. iii. 17; John, xii. 28; Heb. vii. 25; Phil. ii. 5-9; 1 John, ii. 1, 2. 3. One who has merit. 1 Peter, i. 19; ii. 22; 1 John, iii. 5; Isa. lxiii. 1-8. III. The help of the Holy Spirit. Rom. viii. 26; John, xvi. 13; Zech. xii. 10. All which being considered, not only is the hollowness of all excuses commonly offered for neglecting this duty openly demonstrated and exposed, but that neglect must be regarded as of all courses the most foolish, the most sinful, and the most hateful in the sight of God, being an evident token of an indolent, unthankful, selfsufficient, disobedient, unbelieving heart. Explanation of Matters connected with the Third Topic, viz. the particular Collect or Prayer. THE TITLES UNDER WHICH GOD IS INVOKED, AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO BE DERIVED THEREFROM. FIRST, titles denoting Relationship. 66 Under this class we may place these three,God," "Lord," Father;" for each of these titles betokens a relationship of a more or less interesting and intimate character. God. The word "GOD" in the Saxon signifies "good;" and the title "GOD," denotes "the good Being." By this Title we denote the Supreme Being, the Deity, the Creator of the world and all things in it, and so, of course, of ourselves among the rest; and in this title is involved that relationship or connexion which exists between the Creator and His creatures. He is our Creator; we are the creatures He has created and made. This relation ship is the lowest in gradation, and is shared by us in common with every other object of creation, whether animate or inanimate, man or beast. Yet even this may be said to give us a kind of claim upon our Creator, and will furnish us with a plea, whensoever we draw nigh to Him in prayer, which will be to us an encouragement to prayer. We may be assured that He who has made us, will still watch over that which He has made, and may confidently ask of Him at all times not to forsake the work of His own hands," but, as He has given us life, so to give us all things necessary for the support and preservation of that life. Lord. 66 This term " Lord" is used in the Holy Scriptures in more senses than one. At times, indeed generally, it is put for the Hebrew word "Jeho |