Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/62



This is  the  preface  of  the Lord's Prayer, which  aims  at captivating  God's  good-will , and on  disposing  the  suppliant to love  and  fear,  the  most  suitable affections  for  prayer.

For if  he  is  a Father,  is  he not  worthy  of  love? But what kind  of  love? for our love to  him  should  be  measured by  the  extent  of  his goodness.

But what  is  the  extent  of oar  Eternal  Father’s  goodness? God is  in  himself  supremely happy,  he  is  the creator of  heaven  and  earth, our Lord  and  King,  and  yet he desires  to  be,  and  to  be esteemed,  our  Father; and  he delights  for  us  in  turn,  vile worms of  the  earth  and  miserable sinners  as  we  are, unworthy to  be  called  his servants, to  be,  and  to  be called,  his  sons. Oh, what love hath  the  Father  bestowed upon us,  that  we  should  be called,  and  be,  the  sons  of  God! Oh, immeasurable  goodness  of the  Father! But where  is  the equal love  of  the  sons?

Consider, too,  what  fear  is due  to  this  Father,  who  is seated  on  the  throne  of  his majesty in  heaven,  yet is everywhere  present,  beholding severally  each  secret  thing, and governs  at  once  all  things in heaven  and  earth? Great in very  truth  is  the  Lord, and greatly  to  be  praised,  and of his  power  and  greatness there is  no  end. The cherubim and  seraphim  stand  trembling before  him.

See, then,  with  what  love and confidence,  and  yet  with what humility  and  reverence, you ought  to  compose  your mind when  you  come  to  pray.

Next come  seven  petitions, in which  we  partly  pray  for blessings, and  partly  entreat to be  delivered  from  evils. For, as  by  prayer  we  make known our  desires, so  in  the Lord's Prayer  we  ask  for those things  which  we  may lawfully desire. Now that which is  the  first  object  of  desire is  the  chief  good,  the  last end. We ask  next  for  the means which  are  proper  for obtaining this  end. And lastly, for  the  removal  of  those obstacles which  stand  in  the way of  our  obtaining  it.

Lastly, the chief  good, and our final  end,  is  God, whose glory we  desire  for  its  own sake, and from  the  sole  motive of pure  love,  in  saying,

That is  to  say,  May  thy name, which  is  most  holy  and glorious in  itself,  be  also  thus esteemed by  all. May it  be acknowledged  by  true  faith, praised by  steadfast  hope,  and worshipped by  pure  love. Not that  our  aid  is  needed  for thy name  to  be  holy; but  because it  is  holy  and  glorious, and therefore  the  source  and form of  all  holiness,  let  the