The Lord's Prayer
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The Lord©s Prayer Author(s): Watson, Thomas Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Description: Thomas Watson was one of the many non-conformist preachers in 17th century England. He was barred from and then reinstated to the ministry several times, but nevertheless continued to preach. Lord©s Prayer is the third volume of Watson©s series explaining the tenets of Christian faith - the Ten Commandments and the Apostle©s Creed are the sub- jects of the other two. He gives a lengthy exposition of each "petition" in the prayer, which is found in Matthew 6. Watson is heralded as one of the most readable Puritan writers - his style is simpler and less meandering than many of his con- temporaries. Some reviewers suggest this book as a preface to more difficult works on prayer such as those by John Owen. It is a wonderful reference for believers who are looking to improve their prayer lives. Readers will be amazed by the vast meaning packed into these simple words, but also struck by the ease with which it can be prayed. This prayer our Lord taught us is of great importance and should be studied and treasured often. Abby Zwart CCEL Staff Writer Subjects: Christian Denominations Protestantism Post-Reformation Other Protestant denominations Presbyterianism. Calvinistic Methodism i Contents Title Page 1 Contents 2 The Preface to the Lord's Prayer 3 The First Petition in the Lord's Prayer 37 The Second Petition in the Lord’s Prayer 52 The Third Petition in the Lord’s Prayer 143 The Fourth Petition in the Lord's Prayer 183 The Fifth Petition in the Lord's Prayer 197 The Sixth Petition in the Lord's Prayer 243 Indexes 313 Index of Scripture References 314 Latin Words and Phrases 319 ii This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. 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Written permission is required for commercial use. iii Title Page Title Page Thomas Watson, The Lord’s Prayer First published as part of A Body of Practical Divinity, 1692 1 Contents Contents Contents The Preface to the Lord’s Prayer ‘Our Father which art in Heaven ’ The First Petition in the Lord’s Prayer ‘Hallowed be thy name.’ Matt 6: 9 The Second Petition in the Lord’s Prayer ‘Thy kingdom come.’ Matt 6: 10 The Third Petition in the Lord’s Prayer ‘Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’ Matt 6: 10 The Fourth Petition in the Lord’s Prayer ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Matt 6: 11 The Fifth Petition in the Lord’s Prayer ‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’ Matt 6: 12 The Sixth Petition in the Lord’s Prayer ‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ Matt 6: 13 2 The Preface to the Lord©s Prayer The Preface to the Lord's Prayer The Preface to the Lord’s Prayer ‘Our Father which art in Heaven ’ Having gone over the chief grounds and fundamentals of religion, and enlarged upon the decalogue, or ten commandments, I shall speak now upon the Lord’s prayer. ‘After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven hallowed,’ &100:. Matt. 6: 9. In this Scripture are two things observable: the introduction to the prayer, and the prayer itself The introduction to the Lord’s prayer is, ‘After this manner pray ye.’ Our Lord Jesus, in these words, gave to his disciples and to us a directory for prayer. The ten commandments are the rule of our life, the creed is the sum of our faith, and the Lord’s prayer is the pattern of our prayer. As God prescribed Moses a pattern of the tabernacle (Exod 25: 9), so Christ has here prescribed us a pattern of prayer. ‘After this manner pray ye,’ &c. The meaning is, let this be the rule and model according to which you frame your prayers. Ad hanc regulam preces nostras exigere necesse est [We ought to examine our prayers by this rule]. Calvin. Not that we are tied to the words of the Lord’s prayer. Christ says not, ‘After these words, pray ye;’ but ‘After this manner:’ that is, let all your petitions agree and symbolise with the things contained in the Lord’s prayer; and well may we make all our prayers consonant and agreeable to this prayer. Tertullian calls it, Breviarium totius evangelii, ‘a breviary and compendium of the gospel,’ it is like a heap of massive gold. The exactness of this prayer appears in the dignity of the Author. A piece of work has commendation from its artifices, and this prayer has commendation from its Author; it is the Lord’s prayer. As the moral law was written with the finger of God, so this prayer was dropped from the lips of the Son of God. Non vox hominem sonat, est Deus [The voice is not that of a man, but that of God]. The exactness of the prayer appears in the excellence of the matter. It is ‘as silver tried in a furnace, purified seven times.’ Psa 12: 6. Never was prayer so admirably and curiously composed as this. As Solomon’s Song, for its excellence is called the ‘Song of songs,’ so may this be well called the ‘Prayer of prayers’. The matter of it is admirable, 1. For its compre- hensiveness. It is short and pithy, Multum in parvo, a great deal said in a few words. It re- quires most art to draw the two globes curiously in a little map. This short prayer is a system or body of divinity. 2. For its clearness. It is plain and intelligible to every capacity. Clearness is the grace of speech. 3. For its completeness. It contains the chief things that we have to ask, or God has to bestow. 3 The Preface to the Lord©s Prayer Use. Let us have a great esteem of the Lord’s prayer; let it be the model and pattern of all our prayers. There is a double benefit arising from framing our petitions suitably to this prayer. Hereby error in prayer is prevented. It is not easy to write wrong after this copy; we cannot easily err when we have our pattern before us. Hereby mercies requested are obtained; for the apostle assures us that God will hear us when we pray ‘according to his will.’ 1 John 5: 14. And sure we pray according to his will when we pray according to the pattern he has set us. So much for the introduction to the Lord’s prayer, ‘After this manner pray ye.’ The prayer itself consists of three parts. 1. A Preface. 2. Petitions. 3. The Conclusion. The preface to the prayer includes, ‘Our Father;’ and, ‘Which art in heaven.’ I. The first part of the preface is ‘Our Father.’ Father is sometimes taken personally, ‘My Father is greater than I’ (John 14: 28); but Father in the text is taken essentially for the whole Deity. This title, Father, teaches us that we must address ourselves in prayer to God alone. There is no such thing in the Lord’s prayer, as, ‘O ye saints or angels that are in heaven, hear us’; but, ‘Our Father which art in heaven.’ In what order must we direct our prayers to God? Here the Father only is named. May we not direct our prayers to the Son and Holy Ghost also? Though the Father only be named in the Lord’s prayer, yet the other two Persons are not excluded. The Father is mentioned because he is first in order; but the Son and Holy Ghost are included because they are the same in essence. As all the three Persons subsist in one Godhead, so, in our prayers, though we name but one Person, we must pray to all. To come more closely to the first words of the preface, ‘Our Father.’ Princes on earth give themselves titles expressing their greatness, as ‘High and Mighty.’ God might have done so, and expressed himself thus, ‘Our King of glory, our Judge:’ but he gives himself another title, ‘Our Father,’ an expression of love and condescension. That he might encourage us to pray to him, he represents himself under the sweet notion of a Father. ‘Our Father.’ Dulce nomen Patris [Sweet is the name of Father]. The name Jehovah carries majesty in it: the name Father carries mercy in it. In what sense is God a Father? (1) By creation; it is he that has made us: ‘We are also his offspring.’ Acts 17: 28.