or pagan, tends always to induce. Every thing is known to God; all the minutest circumstances which can affect an individual; all that that individual, in the infinite variety of relations in which he may and must be placed can want; all that he really needs, although he may greatly mistake on this matter himself; all that can be truly good to him in its beneficial results, as well as its present influence. He accurately knows all these things before we ask and it is also as certainly implied that he is disposed to give what, upon this infallible knowledge of our characters and the influence which things have upon us, we really need. This, then, is one of the reasons and grounds of prayer. God knows what we want before we ask; he is disposed, by the benevolence of his nature, by his parental feeling as our Father, to give; and waits only for the simple expression of our desires in prayer, accompanied by that trust which we ought to exercise in his mercy, in order to bestow upon us the best blessings at the best time. The infidel argument against prayer is, therefore, our Lord's argument to enforce the duty; and it is enough for those who receive the revelation of the Bible, that to ask them of God is the instituted means of obtaining our blessings, although the reasons of the appointment should not be fully manifest. He who gives to them that deserve not has the right to appoint his own conditions; and since in this case they are made so easily practicable, nothing can more impressively illustrate his goodness. Those as greatly err, on the other hand, who explain prayer as not influencing God, but ourselves, and thus affect to give a philosophic reason for the duty. Prayer, however, is not in itself the means of producing moral changes in us, but the appointed means of obtaining from God

that grace by which such changes are wrought; it does not put us into a moral state of fitness to receive his favour, but, as it necessarily implies penitence and faith, it places us in that relation of humble and dependent creatures, that he can meet with us and graciously bless us

Verse 9 After this manner, therefore, pray ye.-On the obligation of Christians to use this form of prayer there has been much diversity of judgment; some regarding it as intended merely to be a guide to our own prayers; others, as enjoined upon us to use as a standing form; and a third, as designed only for the use of the disciples until the full revelation of the Christian dispensation, by the resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the gift of his Spirit to lead them into all truth. Those who hold the first opinion take the words ourws ovv, thus, therefore, pray ye; or, as they were understood by our translators, "After this manner pray ye;" to signify, Pray ye in similar words, or like mode. But OUT, in various places, signifies a direct form, as in the frequent phrase, introductory to the delivery of a message or prediction "Thus saith the Lord" is, in the LXX., OUTW Aeye o Kugios; which can only mean, THESE VERY WORDS saith the Lord. But the matter is more decisively settled by the parallel place, Luke xi. 2, "When ye pray say, "Our Father;" and especially when we also consider that this prayer in Luke was prescribed in consequence of a request from the disciples of Christ, that he would teach them to pray, as John taught his disciples. For as it is certain that it was the practice of the Jewish teachers to give to their disciples a short form of prayer, it is probable that this had been done by John the Baptist, in order to give the desires and hopes of his followers a direction suited to that

intermediate dispensation which was designed to usher in the perfect religion of Messiah. The second opinion appears, therefore, to be the best founded; but still, though the use of this form is prescribed to Christians, the practice of the apostles, and the reason of the case, show that other prayers, both of a more extended kind, and comprehending a greater number of particulars arising out of the various wants which we may feel, and the aids we may require, are at once lawful and necessary. Still its important use as a general guide to the structure and spirit of our prayers is to be maintained. "It is the fountain of prayer," says an ancient, "from which we may draw praying thoughts." In this view, the benefit which the church of Christ has derived from it is incalculable. It teaches us to approach God with filial confidence as our FATHER, but with reverential awe of his sacred NAME; to extend our desires beyond ourselves, and the prosperity of the particular society to which we may belong, to the coming of Christ's universal KINGDOM; it connects absolute submission to the practical will of God respecting us, with our earnestness to obtain the benefits he has to bestow; it teaches our dependence upon his providence for the supply of our DAILY BREAD, and therefore excludes an infidel confidence in mere second causes, and brings devotion into the daily business and enjoyments of life; it calls for confession of sin, and authorizes us to ask FORGIVENESS; and it reminds us that when we pray we are also to FORGIVE; it teaches us that without the aid of God we shall fall into TEMPTATION, and leads us to him as our refuge against the danger of EVIL and the evil one; and, finally, it turns prayer into praise, and calls up the grateful homage and ardent affections of the whole soul towards God, in ascribing to him the glory due unto his name for ever. Into this divinely-prepared mould must all acceptable prayer be cast, and he who regards these as general rules can never, as to the manner of "ordering his cause before God," pray amiss. With respect to the

third opinion, it seems chiefly to rest upon the silence of the New Testament as to the use of the Lord's prayer by the apostles or others, and upon the assumption that it is not a prayer offered in the name of Jesus Christ, in which the disciples were instructed to present all their petitions after his resurrection : "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name." On which we may observe, that the argument from the silence of the New Testament as to the practice of the Apostles proves nothing, since we have no particular account of their modes of worship, and no occasion occurs in the history which could lead to any inference as to the use of this form or otherwise, in their private or social devotions. With respect to the absence of all direct reference to the " name" of Christ, which, in fact, signifies his mediation and merit, rather than the express form of concluding our prayers in his name, however important that may be, and by no means to be disused, it may be observed, that we have an instance of a prayer offered even after the ascension, by all the assembled apostles and the church at Jerusalem, which has no express reference to the mediation and merit of Christ; and we have instances of prayers in the Epistles of both kinds, that is to say, of many consecutive petitions sometimes offered without express reference to the offices of Christ, as Mediator and Intercessor, and sometimes with such a reference emphatically declared. Now it clearly follows, from the latter class of prayers, that "the name" of Christ, in the sense of his merit, was regarded by the apostles as the ground of all acceptable worship, or, as St. Paul says with respect to thanksgiving, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” yet from the others it is evident, that though this was always IMPLIED as a first and fundamental principle, yet it was not always expressed. The absence of direct reference to the mediation of Christ therefore could be no objection to the use of the Lord's prayer by the disciples, after the full developement of the Christian doctrine of

Christ's sacrifice and intercession; and by them, as by us, it would be used with constant reference in their minds to the sole ground of their hope. This doctrine, therefore, being understood, it is further to be remarked, that there is nothing temporary in the character of the petitions which this divine prayer contains; it is as adapted to convey our general wishes, supplications, and thanksgivings, "to the throne of the heavenly grace" now, as when first enjoined, and will be so to the end of time; nor is it a slight recommendation to its constant use, both in families and public worship, that in it we address God in the very words which were taught us by his beloved Son.

The notion that the several parts of the Lord's prayer were collected out of the Jewish forms of prayer used in the synagogue does not stand on good proof, although great pains have been taken to collect from them similar sentences. The fact is, that there is no satisfactory evidence that the Jewish prayers now extant are as ancient as the time of Christ. If any have this claim, they are what they call the eighteen prayers," which are undoubtedly very ancient, and are considered as their most solemn form of worship; but in vain will these prayers be searched for petitions at all similar to those of the Lord's prayer. Not a phrase occurs in them which could suggest a single petition of the Lord's prayer. Others adduced in proof are from liturgies and Talmudists of still later times; and it is to be remarked, that, with all their enmity to Christ, the Jewish writers have often very freely borrowed moral sentiments, devotional expressions, and even the leading idea of several of the parables found in their writings, from the New Testament. They have thus often confessed its wisdom whilst they have denied its authority. The strong probability therefore is, that where such coincidences occur as have been pointed out by Lightfoot and others, the Rabbins borrowed from our Lord, and not he from them. That our Saviour used in this prayer the devotional language familiar to the Jews,

which was drawn from the holy scriptures, is certain; as that God is our Father, that he is in heaven, that his name may be sanctified, and his will done; and that the kingdom, power, and glory are his; for all these may be paralleled by passages from the Old Testament, which he always took occasion to honour; and with such parallels before the critics referred to, it was little better than solemn trifling to ransack the Rabbins, who wrote long after Christ, to find the scattered models of the different parts of this divine composition. We may therefore conclude, that this form is, as it has been generally acknowledged in the church to be, an original composition by Christ, into which the sentiments and devotional expressions of the Old Testament are in some parts interwoven, but wholly adapted to his dispensation. The chief use to be made of the later Jewish writers is to explain by them such modes of speaking, and such customs, as have been all along peculiar to their nation. That they afford models of sentiment to inspired men is a dream.

Our Father. The plural form here prescribed indicates that this was a prayer to be used in social rather than in solitary worship. It is a rule with the later Jews, that a man ought always to join himself in prayer with the assembly, not in the singular but in the plural number. As all men are authorized to address God as their Father, not only does this divine prayer tacitly enjoin upon us a universal philanthropy, but assures us that "God is loving to every man, and that his tender mercies are over all his works." No one, therefore, of the whole human race can "seek his face in vain.' fidence is further heightened when, through a true faith in Christ, we receive "the adoption of sons ;" and, in that special sense spoken of by St. Paul, are entitled to say to God, 'Abba, Father." Yet this Father is in heaven, ev Tois oupavois, to remind us of his glorious majesty, and to impress us with the deepest reverence. He is in heaven; and yet, such is his infinite perfection, "the heaven of heavens cannot contain him."

This con

Hallowed be thy name-The name of God

in heaven.

is here, as in the Old Testament, put for God himself, as declared by his revealed attributes; and to hallow his name, is with reverence and joy to acknowledge all his perfections, and to celebrate his praises; for to hallow is equivalent to glorify." There is an evident allusion to Lev. x. 3, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified;" and to 2 Sam. vii. 26, "And let thy name be magnified for ever."

For

Verse 10. Thy kingdom come.-The kingdom of Messiah, the reign of grace among all nations. That kingdom of which the prophets speak in such lofty strains; the near approach of which John the Baptist announced, and the foundations of which our Lord was then placing in the hearts of his disciples, by teaching that doctrine, and going through those humiliations and sufferings, which were necessary to bring men under its influence; that is, to reconcile them to God, and renew them in righteousness. the complete establishment of this dominion of God in our own hearts, this prayer may be properly used, although it principally respects the extension of Christ's spiritual reign over the whole earth, when "the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ; that is, when all the people which compose them, and all their institutions, civil and ecclesiastical, shall be subject to the laws and spirit of his religion. See note on chap. iii. 2.

Thy will, &c.—We do not here pray that God may do his will, nor mercly express our acquiescence in what he wills; but that what God wills ourselves and all men to do may be done by us on earth as it is done in heaven by the angels; that is, vigorously and with delight, perfectly and with constancy. The model of our obedience is thus the elevated one of the unfallen and unsinning angels, all whose principles of obedience ought to exist in

us, and be continually carrying up our services to a nearer practical resemblance to theirs. There is here probably an allusion to Psalm ciii. 20, 21: "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”

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Verse 11. Give us this day our daily bread.-Tov aprov v Tv ULOV. As the word ETLOVσIOS is found in no Greek writer, nor in the New Testament, except here and the parallel place in St. Luke, there has been great diversity of opinion as to its meaning. It has been derived either from E and ovoia, substance or being; or from επειμι, whence comes επιουσα, following, subsequent, next, spoken of a day or night; or from neu in the sense of to be at hand. But, as Mede says, "the import of the prayer in general is indifferently well agreed upon; but much ado there is what this envios should signify." Thus we have "bread for to-morrow," that is, a supply day after day; "bread till tomorrow," which also implies daily dependence; and “ the bread we have need of to-day," sufficient bread." The Vulgate has "supersubstantial or spiritual bread," which is an unwarranted refinement. "Bread for to-morrow" has an apparent inconsistency with St. Luke's ka' queрav, " day by day," and St. Matthew's onμepov: for to ask that the bread of to-morrow may be given us to-day, or day by day, is not only harsh, but somewhat inconsistent with our Lord's own exhortation : Take no thought for the morrow, what ye shall eat." The derivation from en and ουσία appears therefore the most satisfactory; for as ουσια signifies substance, being, επιούσιος may well have the sense of that which will support existence, that which is sufficient and necessary. The petition will then be, "Give us this day the bread necessary for our subsistence;" as Suidas: TO EM T

ovora que appogor, " fit for our support." Bread, with the Hebrews, included all the necessaries of life, and with respect to these we are instructed to ask, not what is superfluous, but what is sufficient; a prayer admirably adapted to a religion which inculcates spiritual-mindedness, and teaches us to disregard all earthly things, in comparison of heaven. More than sufficient bread is indeed often given; but then, let it be remembered, it is given as a TRUST. Our Lord appears to have referred to the supply of the Israelites day by day with bread from heaven," that is, with manna. It is here well remarked by Archbishop Wake, that we present this petition to God, not to exclude our own reasonable care for our support, much less to exclude our labouring for it; but to show that we depend altogether upon the providence of God, and owe our lives, and all our support of them, not to our own cunning and industry, but to his blessing, thereby to engage us both to rely on him with the greater confidence, and to make suitable returns of love, praise, and gratitude."

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Verse 12. And forgive us our debts, &c. -In St. Luke it is "forgive us our sins," which fixes the meaning of the term debts here used. So in verse 14 of this chapter, trespasses is used in explanation of the debts of the text. To call sin a debt was a manner of speaking common among the Jews, and derived probably from the Chaldee paraphrasts. Thus Solomon's petition, "Do thou accept their prayer, and forgive their sin," is, in one Targum, "Forgive their debt ;" and, " Forgive now the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin," is, in another, " Forgive the debts of thy brethren." This mode of speaking was not, however, peculiar to the Jews. In the Odyssey, the robbery which the Messenians had committed upon Ulysses, in carrying off his sheep, is called a DEBT. The exchange of terms is founded upon

Verse 13. And lead us not into temptation.-To lead is a Hebraism for to permit, or suffer; suffer us not to be led into temptation; that is, to be OVERCOME by it. Hence Tertullian renders the clause, Ne nos patiaris induci. So Augustine explains it: Quid dicimus nisi, Ne inferri sinas? And Gregory: Induci minime permittas: By temptation is here meant any great and overwhelming trial, whether of our virtue by solicitations and promptings to sin, or of our patience by extreme sufferings. It is such temptation as would produce "evil," the evil of sin, according to the next clause,—“ but deliver us from EVIL." To deliver, here signifies, not to rescue out of evil, but wholly to preserve us from it. Temptations are necessary to a state of discipline, or, as we often express it, a state of probation. We are daily tried, and put to the proof, whether we will obey God, or the suggestions of Satan, the world, and our own evil hearts; but we have here the right granted to us to pray that we may not be permitted to fall into or by such temptations as shall be "hurtful to the soul." Yet without the special care of God, who could prevent this? Who can so control his circumstances, that they shall never press too hard upon his resolution by presenting motives to some relaxation of duty, or to some positive offence? And what is there in man to withstand the power and subtlety of "the archangel fallen," that malignant spirit, so long practised in every moral wile and subtlety to entangle, pervert, and destroy? How important,