A Body of Practical Divinity

In this Scripture are two things observable.

I. The Introduction to the Prayer. II. The Prayer it self, which consists of three parts. ⟨p. 425⟩1. A Preface. 2. Petitions 3. The Conclusion.

I. The Introduction to the Lords Prayer, sic orate vos, After this manner pray ye.] Our Lord Jesus in these words prescribed to his Disciples and us a directory for prayer. The Ten Commandments are the rule of our Life, the Creed is the sum of our Faith, and the Lords Prayer is the pattern of our Prayer: As God did prescribe Moses a pattern of the Tabernacle, Exod. 25.9. so Christ hath 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 ye frame your prayers; Ad hanc regulam preces nostras exigere necesse est. Not that we are tied to the words of the Lords-prayer:¹ Christ saith not after these words, pray ye, but after this manner; that is, let all your petitions agree and symbolize with the things contained in the Lords prayer; and indeed well may we make all our prayers consonant and agreeable to this prayer, it being a most exact prayer. Tertullian calls it breviarium totius Evangelii, a breviary and compendium of the Gospel: It is like an heap of massy gold. The exactness of this prayer appears, 1. In the Dignity of the Author: A piece of work hath commendation from the Artificer; and this prayer hath commendation from the Author; it is the Lords Prayer. As the Law Moral 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. 2. The exactness of this prayer appears in the excellency of the matter. I may say of this prayer, It is as silver tried in a furnace, purified seven times;