The 121ft Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHY is added, Which art in Heaven? "A. That we may not have an earthly "Thought of the Majefty of God; and that we 66 may expect from his Almighty Power whatsoever " is necessary for both Body and Soul."

The 122d Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT is the first Petition?

"A. Hallowed be thy Name. That is, "Grant us firft to know thee rightly, to fanctify "thee, and to praise thee and magnify thy Almigh"tinefs, Wisdom, Goodnefs, Juftice, Mercy and "Truth, fhining forth in all thy Works. Further, "To regulate our whole Life, Thoughts, Words " and Works, to the End, that thy most holy Name <c may not be reproached upon our Account, but ❝ rather honoured and praised."

The 123d Question of the HEIDELBERG

CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT is the second Petition? "A. Thy Kingdom come.

Preferve

That is, Rule "us fo by thy Word and Spirit, that we may fub"mit ourselves more and more to thee. "and increase thy Church; destroy the Works of "the Devil, and every Power that exalteth itself "against thy Majefty; fruftrate all Designs which formed against thy holy Word, until thy King"dom be fully revealed, when thou wilt be all in all.'

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The

The 124th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT is the third Petition?

"A. Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in "Heaven. That is, Grant that we, and all Men, "renouncing our own Will, may readily, and with"out any Murmuring, obey thy Will, which is only

Holy. And that fo every one in his Vocation may "acquit himself of his Duty, and do thy Will with "the fame Readiness and Faithfulne's as the Angels "do in Heaven."

The 125th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT is the fourth Petition?

"A. Give us this Day our daily Bread. "That is, Be pleased to provide us with whatsoever "is neceffary for the Body; and by that we may " acknowledge and confefs thee to be the only Foun"tain of all Happinefs, and that neither our Cares,.

nor our Labour, nor even the good Things which "thou haft given us, can avail us any Thing with"out thy Bleffing; and that by Confequence we ought to withdraw our Truft in all Creatures, and "place it only in thee.”

The 126th Queftion of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT is the fifth Petition?

"A. And forgive us our Trefpaffes, as we "forgive them that trefpafs against us. That is, For "the Sake of the Blood of Chrift, do not impute to "us, moft miferable Sinners, all our Offences, nei"ther that Corruption, which still cleaveth to us; " even as we find this Teftimony of thy Grace in

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our.

our Hearts, that we are firmly refolved to forgive "from the Heart, all those who have offended us."

The 127th Question of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT is the fixth Petition?

"A. And lead us not into Temptation, but "deliver us from Evil. That is, Since we are fo "weak of ourselves, that we cannot subsist one Mo"ment; and that moreover the Devil, the World, " and our own Flesh, which are our mortal Enemies, 66 are continually making War against us, be pleased, "O God, to preserve and fortify us by the Virtue "of thy holy Spirit, to the End that we may not "fink in this fpiritual Combat, but that we may always refift with Courage, until at last we gain a "compleat Victory.”

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The 128th Question of the HEIDELBERG

CATECHISM.

WHAT is the Conclufion of that Prayer? "A. For thine is the Kingdom, the Power " and the Glory, for ever and ever. That is to fay, "We ask all these Things of thee, because as being "our King, and having all Things in thy Power, "thou haft both the Ability and the Will to grant "us all that is good and well; thefe Things we "therefore afk, that out of them all Glory may "redound, not to us, but to thy holy Name, which "ought to be eternally praised.'

"

The 129th Queftion of the HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Q. WHAT does the Word Amen fignify?

"A. Amen, That is to fay, This is true

"and certain; for it is more true that my Prayer is "heard by God, than I find in my Heart taat it is "my Defire it fhould be fo."

Q. But to give the fhort Contents of this Prayer, what doth the Preface, Our Father which art in Heaven, teach us?

A. Besides, that we fhould pray with and for others, it is to ftir up in us at the Beginning of our Prayer, a filial Fear and firm Confidence in God, whofe Throne is in Heaven, and from whofe Almighty Power we may expect whatsoever is neceffary for both Soul and Body.

Q. How many Petitions are there in the Lord's Prayer?

A. Six; three which tend to the glory of God, and the others to our Welfare and Salvation.

Q. What is the Meaning of the Three firft Petitions? A. That is to fay, 1st, That God may be known rightly, and praised of us in all his Works. 2dly, That his Church may increase in a great many Virtues, be defended againtt all Enemies, and the Kingdom of Glory fully revealed. 3dly, That God, by his Grace, would make us able and willing to know and fubmit to his Will in all Things, and that with the fame Readiness and Faithfulness as the Angels do in Heaven.

Q. What is the Meaning of the others?

A. ft, That God may be pleafed to provide us of his free Grace, with whatfoever is neceflary for the Body; and that we may enjoy his Bleffing. 2dly, That he, for Chrift's Sake, would pardon all our Sins, as we, by his Grace, are cordially refolved to forgive others. 3dly, That God would either keep us from being tempted to Sin, or fupport and deliver us when we are tempted.

Q. What doth the Conclufion, For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, &c. teach us?

A. That we afk all those Things of God, as

being

being our King, having all Things in his Power, and at his Command, and that the full Glory, as is most right, fhall and ought to redound to his holy Name, and that he ought to be eternally praised for his Care and Love to all Mankind; and in Teftimony of our Defire, and Affurance of being heard, we fay, Amen. Q. Has every one a full Right to address the Almighty in the Lord's Prayer?

A. No; every one has no special Intereft in God, s his Father; which imports the Spirit of Adoption as the Principal of all acceptable Prayers, Gal. iv. 6. And becaufe ye are Sons, God hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Therefore the former Chriftians have called it, the Prayer of Believers; and to pray the Lord's Prayer, was only permitted unto them who were baptized; but the unconverted may pray it so far as they breath unto God, that it may please him to bring them into fuch Condition wherein they may pray it with a full Right.

Q. But are Chriftians bound by a Neceffity to use that Form of Words? Or was it only intended for a Directory to them?

A. That Form of Words may be lawfully ufed, according to Chrift's Ordinance, Matt. vi. 9. Luke xi. 12. But alfo it is plain Chrift's Intention was, to regulate our Duty of Prayer by it. Ift, Because this Prayer is fet down diverfly by the Evangelifts, Matt. vi. 11, 12. Luke xi. 3, 4. 2dly, Chrift, and his Apoftles, did not always ufe this Form of Words afterwards, as appears by his Prayer at Lazarus's Grave, John xi. and that for his Apoftles, John xvii. 3dly, Because thefe Words, Matt. vi 9. After this Manner, plainly fhew, it's Ufe was intended for a Directory

to us.

Q. May then Chriftians ufe any other Forms of Prayer? A. What belongs to the Forms of Prayer, we cannot disapprove them, in respect to Children in Under-. R franding,