A PARAPHRASE ON THE LORD'S PRAYER
A PARAPHRASE ON THE LORD'S PRAYER, IN SCRIPTURE EXPRESSIONS
HE Lord's prayer being intended not only for a form of prayer itself, but a rule of direction, a plan or model in little, by which we may frame our prayers; and the expressions being remarkably concise, and yet vastly comprehensive, it will be of good use sometimes to lay it before us, and observing the method and order of it, to dilate upon the several passages and petitions of it, that when we use it only as a form, we may use it the more intelligently; of which we shall only here give a specimen in the assistance we may have from some other scriptures.
OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN
LORD our God, doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not; thou, O Lord, art our Father, our redeemer, thy name is from everlasting; And we will from this time cry unto thee, Our Father, thou art the guide of our youth. Isaiah 63:16. Jeremiah 3:4.
Have we not all one Father, has not one God created us? Thou art the Father of our spirits, to whom we ought to be in subjection and live. Malachi 2:10. Hebrews 12:9.
Thou art the Father of lights, and the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation: The eternal Father, of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things. James 1:17. 2 Corinthians 1:3. Isaiah 9:6. Romans 11:36.
Thou art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose glory was that of the only begotten of the Father, who is in his bosom, by him as one brought up with him, daily his delight, and rejoicing always before him. Ephesians 1:3. John 1:14, 18. Proverbs 8:30.
Thou art in Christ our Father, and the Father of all believers, whom thou hast predestinated to the adoption of children, and into whose hearts thou hast sent the Spirit of the Son, teaching them to cry, Abba, Father. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God; That the Lord God Almighty should be to us a Father, and we should be to him for sons and daughters; And that as many as receive Christ, to them thou shouldest give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which are born not of the will of man, but of God, and his grace. Ephesians 1:5. Galatians 4:6. 1 John 3:1. 2 Corinthians 6 (v. 18). John 1:12, 13.
O that we may receive the adoption of sons, and that as obedient and genuine children we may fashion ourselves according to the example of him who hath called us, who is holy; and may be followers of God as dear children, and conformed to the image of his Son, who is the first born among many brethren. Galatians 4:5. 1 Peter 1:14, 15. Ephesians 5:1. Romans 8:29.
Enable us to come to thee with humble boldness and confidence, as to a Father, a tender Father, who spares us as a man spares his son that serves him; and as having an advocate with the Father, who yet has told us, that the Father himself loves us. Ephesians 3:12. Malachi 3:17. 1 John 2:1. John 16:27.
Thou art a Father, but where is thine honour? Lord, give us grace to serve thee as becomes children, with reverence and godly fear. Malachi 1:6. Hebrews 12:28.
Thou art a Father, and if earthly parents, being evil, yet know how to give good gifts unto their children, how much more shall our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Lord, give us the spirit of grace and supplication. Luke 11:13. Zechariah 12:10.
We come to thee as prodigal children that have gone from our Father's house into the far country; but we will arise and go to our Father, for in his house there is bread enough and to spare, and if we continue at a distance from him, we perish with hunger. Father, we have sinned against heaven and before thee, and are no more worthy to be called thy children, make us even as thy hired servants. Luke 15:13, 17, 18, 19.
Thou art our Father in heaven, and therefore unto thee, 0 Lord, do we lift up our souls. Unto thee lift we up our eyes, 0 thou that dwellest in the heavens: As the eyes of a servant are to the hand of his master, and the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress, so do our eyes wait upon thee, 0 Lord our God; a God whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, and yet whom we may have access to, having a high-priest that is passed into the heavens, as our forerunner. Psalm 86:4. Psalm 123:1, 2. 1 Kings 8:27. Ephesians 3:12. Hebrews 4:14. Hebrews 6:20.
Thou, 0 God, dwellest in the high and holy place, and holy and reverend is thy name. God is in heaven, and we are upon earth, therefore should we choose out words to reason with him; and yet through a mediator we have boldness to enter into the Holiest. Isaiah 57:15. Psalm 111:9. Ecclesiastes 5:2. Job 9:14. Hebrews 10:19.
Look down (we pray thee) from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory, and have compassion upon us and help us. Isaiah 63:15. Mark 9:22.
Heaven is the firmament of thy power: 0 hear us from thy holy heaven with the saving strength of thy right hand; send us help from the sanctuary, and strengthen us out of Sion. Psalm 150:1. Psalm 20:6, 2.
And 0 that since heaven is our Father's house; we may have our conversation there, and may seek the things that are above. John 14:2. Philippians 3:20. Colossians 3:1.
HALLOWED BE THY NAME
AND now what is our petition, and what is our request? What would we that thou shouldest do for us? This is our hearts desire and prayer in the first place, Father in heaven, let thy name be sanctified. We pray that thou mayest be glorified as a Holy God. Esther 5:6. Matthew 20:32. Romans 10:1. Leviticus 10:3.
We desire to exalt the Lord our God, to worship at his footstool, at his holy hill, and to praise his great and terrible name, for it is holy, for the Lord our God is holy. Thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalm 99:5, 3, 9. Psalm 22:3.
We glory in thy holy name, and therefore shall our hearts rejoice, because we have trusted in that holy name of thine, to which we will always give thanks, and triumph in thy praise. Psalm 105:3. Psalm 33:21. Psalm 106:47.
Lord, enable us to glorify thy holy name for evermore, by praising thee with all our hearts, and by bringing forth much fruit, for herein is our heavenly Father glorified. O that we may be to our God for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory, that being called out of darkness, into his marvellous light, to be to him a peculiar people, we may shew forth the praises of him that hath called us. Psalm 86:12. John 15:8. Jeremiah 13:11. 1 Peter 2:9.
O that we may be thy children, the work of thy hands, that we may sanctify thy name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel, and may be to the praise of his glory. Isaiah 29:23. Ephesians 1:12.
Enable us, as we have received the gift, so to minister the same as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ: And if we suffer, enable us to suffer as Christians, and to glorify God therein; for this is our earnest expectation and hope, that always Jesus Christ may be magnified in our bodies in life and death. 1 Peter 4:10, 11, 16. Philippians 1:20.
Lord, enable others to glorify thee, let even the strong people glorify thee, and the city of the terrible nations fear thee; but especially let the Lord be magnified from the border of Israel. Let them glorify the Lord in the fires, even the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. 0 let all nations whom thou hast made come and worship before thee, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name; for thou art great, and dost wondrous things, thou art God alone. Isaiah 25:3. Malachi 1:5. Isaiah 24:15. Psalm 86:9, 10.
O let the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy, let his name be known and confessed among the Gentiles, and let them rejoice with his people. 0 let thy name be great among the Gentiles, and let all the ends of the world remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations worship before thee; and let them declare thy righteousness to a people that shall be born. Romans 15:9, 10. Malachi 1:11. Psalm 22:27, 31.
Lord, do thou thyself dispose of all things to thy own glory, both as King of nations, and as King of saints: Do all according to the counsel of thy own will, that thou mayest magnify thyself, and sanctify thyself, and mayest be known in the eyes of many nations, that thou art the Lord. 0 sanctify thy great name, which has been profaned among the heathen, and let them know that thou art the Lord, when thou shalt be sanctified in them. Jeremiah 10:7. Revelation 15:3. Ephesians 1:11. Ezekiel 38:23. Ezekiel 36:23.
Father, glorify thine own name: Thou hast glorified it, glorify it yet again: Father, glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. 0 give him a name above every name, and in all places, in all things let him have the pre-eminence. John 12:28. John 17:1. Philippians 2:9. Colossians 1:18.
Lord, what wilt thou do for thy great name? Do this for thy great name; Pour out of thy spirit upon all flesh; and let the word of Christ dwell richly in the hearts of all. Be thou exalted, 0 Lord, among the heathen, be thou exalted in the earth; Be thou exalted, 0
God, above the heavens, let thy glory be above all the earth; Be thou exalted, 0 Lord, in thine own strength, so will we sing and praise thy power. Do great things with thy glorious and everlasting arm, to make unto thyself a glorious and an everlasting name. Joshua 7:9. Joel 2:28. Colossians 3:16. Psalm 46:10. Psalm 57:11. Psalm 21:13. Isaiah 63:5, 12, 14.
O let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel. 1 Chronicles 17:24.
THY KINGDOM COME
IN order to the sanctifying and glorifying of thy Holy name, Father in heaven, let thy kingdom come, for thine is the kingdom, 0 Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all: Both riches and honour come of thee; thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and might, in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. And we desire to speak of the glorious majesty of thy kingdom, for it is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations. Thou rulest by thy power for ever, thine eyes behold the nations. 0 let not the rebellious exalt themselves, but through the greatness of thy power let thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. 1 Chronicles 29:11, 12. Psalm 145:11, 13. Psalm 66:7, 3.
O make it to appear that the kingdom is thine, and that thou art the governor among the nations, so evident, that they may say among the heathen, The Lord reigneth; that all men may fear, and may declare the work of God, and may say, Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. Make all the kings of the earth to know that the heavens do rule, even that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and to praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Psalm 22:28. Psalm 96:10. Psalm 64:9. Psalm 58:11. Daniel 4:25, 26, 37.
O let the kingdom of thy grace come more and more in the world, that kingdom of God which cometh not with observation, that kingdom of God which is within men. Let it be like leaven in the world, diffusing its relish till the whole be leavened, and like a grain of mustard-seed, which though it be the least of all seeds, yet when it is grown, is the greatest among herbs. Luke 17:20, 21. Matthew 13:33, 31, 32.
Let the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ: Take unto thyself thy great power, and reign, though the nations be angry. Set up thy throne there where Satan's seat is; let every thought be brought into obedience to thee, and let the law of thy kingdom be magnified and made honourable. Revelation 11:15, 17, 18. Revelation 2:13. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Isaiah 42:21.
Let that kingdom of God, which is not in word, but in power, be set up in all the churches of Christ. Send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion, and rule by the beauty of holiness. 1 Corinthians 4:20. Psalm 110:2, 3.
Where the strong man armed hath long kept his palace, and his goods are in peace, let Christ, who is stronger than he come upon him, and overcome him, and take from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divide the spoil. Luke 11:21, 22.
O give to the Son of man dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages may serve him, and the judgment may be given to the saints of the most High. Daniel 7:14, 22.
Let the kingdom of thy grace come more and more in our land, and the places where we live. There let the word of the Lord have free course and be glorified, and let not the kingdom of God be taken from us, as we have deserved it should, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 2 Thessalonians 3:1. Matthew 21:43.
Let the kingdom of thy grace come into our hearts, that they may be the temples of the Holy Ghost. Let no iniquity have dominion over us: overturn, overturn, overturn the power of corruption there, and let him come whose right our hearts are, and give them him; make us willing, more and more willing in the day of thy power. Rule in us by the power of truth, that being of the truth, we may always hear Christ's voice; and may not only call him Lord, Lord, but do the things that he saith. And let the love of Christ command us, and constrain us, and his fear be before our eyes, that we sin not. 1 Corinthians 3:16. Psalm 119:133. Ezekiel 21:27. Psalm 110:3. John 18:37. Luke 6:46. 2 Corinthians 5:14. Exodus 20:20.
O let the kingdom of thy glory be hastened; we believe it will come, we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus, to come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; we hope that he shall appear to our joy; we love his appearing; we are looking for, and hasting to the coming of the day of God: Make us ready for it, that we may then lift up our heads with joy, knowing that our redemption draws nigh. And O that we may have such first fruits of the Spirit, as that we ourselves may groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, even the redemption of our body; and may have a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is best of all.