The excess of impiety which has broken down the banks of common civility and modesty, at first led my thoughts to these ensuing subjects. The spirits of men are leavened with atheism-and their lives are stained with debauchery. I do not know what to call them but baptized heathens. I am sure the floods of sin are risen, even to a deluge. There is a generation among us of whom I may say, that they militate against religion. They are so exceedingly profane that they esteem the Bible to be a fable-and would jeer all holiness out of the world The "prince of the power of the air" now works in the children of disobedience Thomas Watson was an English preacher and author who obtained great fame preaching until the Restoration when he was ejected as the vicar of St. Stephen's Walbrook for noncomformity. Watson continued to exercise his ministry privately and upon the Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 he obtained a license to preach at the great hall in Crosby House.

"This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven." -Matthew 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, "This, then, is how you should pray." 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, and 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. "This, then, is how you should pray," etc. The meaning is, let this be the rule and model according to which you frame your prayers. We ought to examine our prayers by this rule.] Calvin. Not that we are tied to the exact words of the Lord's prayer. Christ says, "This, then, is how you should pray" that is, let all your petitions agree and harmonize 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 this prayer, "a breviary and compendium of the gospel " It is like a heap of massive gold. Thomas Watson was an English preacher and author who obtained great fame preaching until the Restoration when he was ejected as the vicar of St. Stephen's Walbrook for noncomformity. Watson continued to exercise his ministry privately and upon the Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 he obtained a license to preach at the great hall in Crosby House.

It was old Latimer who said, "When sometimes I sit alone, and have a settled assurance of the state of my soul, and know that God is my God-I can laugh at all troubles, and nothing can daunt me." Godliness puts a man in heaven before his time. Christian, aspire after piety; it is a lawful ambition. Look at the saints' characteristics here, and never leave off until you have got them stamped upon your own soul. This is the grand business which should swallow up your time and thoughts. Other speculations and quaint notions are nothing, compared to the priceless soul. They are like wafers which have fine words printed upon them, and are curious to the eye-but are thin, and yield little nourishment. But I will not keep you longer in the porch. Should I have enlarged upon any one characteristic of the godly man, it would have required a volume-but designing to go over many, I have contracted my sails, and given you only a brief summary of things. If this piece conduces to the good of souls, I shall have my desire. That the God of grace will effectually accomplish this shall be my prayer. Thomas Watson was an English preacher and author who obtained great fame preaching until the Restoration when he was ejected as the vicar of St. Stephen's Walbrook for noncomformity. Watson continued to exercise his ministry privately and upon the Declaration of Indulgence in 1672 he obtained a license to preach at the great hall in Crosby House.