New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-17
THE LORDS PRAYER,
sermon Preached by Henry Ward
Beecher. in Plymouth Church, Brook.

1t recorded in the sixth chapter of Mat
thew. and tho ninth verse. and onward
and in the eleventh chapter OF Luke be
ginning with the first verse. They only. OF
the four Evangelists, make mention OF this
Prayer. And there is some difference be
tween the account given of it by Luke. and
that given of it by Matthew
We find it embodied in the Gospel OF
Matthew with the Sermon on the Mount
having its organic relations to that meinora
bic discourse, and seeming to spring neces
sarilE out of the circumstances under which
the sermon took place Any one who reads
the Sermon OH the Mount will find that
the Lords Prayer occupies just the place
that was needed for the completion of the
whole discourse. And yet Luke speaks OF
it as if were delivered on another occasion.
This has given rise to the Impression that.
perhaps. it was delivered twice. And yet,
if it was delivered twice, it is very singular
that Mark. the most accurate. perhaps, of
the four EvangelSts, and John, the most
devout should both of them have omitted
it. The words of Luke are
| And 1t came to pass that, as he was
! praying in a certain place. vi hen lie ceased.
one OF his disciples said unto him, Lord.
| teach rs 70 pray, as John also taught his
disciples. And he said unto them: When
We pray. cay. Our Father, which art in
heaven, hallOwed be thy name Thy king
! '
50 in earth. Give us day by day our daily
| bread. And forgive us our sins: for we also
/ forgive every one that is indebted to IL.
And lead us not into temptation. but de
liver lis from evil
| In Matthe VS. version you will find that
| there is the d"xology appended. 1t is the
| familiar Jewish doxoogy:
For thine is the kin /. dom and the power
and the glory. forever
This il unuursfiouah1y later aditinp
The familiar and ordinary Jewish D"xolo.y
was added to the text. aud the earliest edl-
tions omitted it. The best scholars now
agree, therefore. that the form in Matthew
is purer than the form III Luke. That is to
say, that it is fuller. since it contains this
addition, which the form il Luke does not.
You will perceive that Lukc's account of
this prayer Is not inconsistent with its being
a part of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus
was returning from one of those Galiean
circuits OF which he made 50 many: and
coming in sight of the sea Of Galiee. he
stopped to feed the vast multitude which
had followed him. or come forth to meet
him. Ii is recorded that he withdrew from
them, and went up into the mountains, and
spent the night in prayer. He came down
from the mountain in the morning. appar-
emily. and met his lisciples-hs nearest.
chosen disciples-had some converse with
them. and then went down to the multitude.
1t is probable that he began his discourse
there. But such was the throng. that he re-
tired still further up. and there he delivered
the discourse.
This recOnciles the two statements-one
of which says that he delivered this ser
mon on plain (apparently an immense
level plaln) aud the other ot which declares
that he delivered II upon a mountain for
that term mountain was used to signify an
upland. and not what We mean when We
use it,
1t seems that our Master. after spending
the Whole night i'll prayer. assembled. and
began his sermon ON the mount. And
when you read that Jesus taught men to
pray III the midst of this sermon. you must
not allow yourself to be misled by the term
sermon. You must not think of a church.
OF minister. OF a text and of a regular
discourse such as yOu are accustomed to as
sOciate with this word. This sermon on the
mount was 10 >lch thing. There can be no
question that il was delivered. in the most
familiar way and tliat he WAS sometimes ,
standing and sometime, sittln.-tor both /
terms are employed: to designate the |
method. And there Is no doubt that il WAS !
Interlocutory-that y. discussed a certain !
point. and then received questions upon it !
which he answered. Although none of
these questions are reported. the discourse
itself bears marks. j.. may 50 say, which in
uiCdtt tHtH Topics ale lIlfbuuctu ana Ter /
minated in way which shows that there
were some sort of intervals Though they
are not locked one into another. there were
stops. evidently: and il is not improbable
that he was interr"ga.ed II the midst Of his
dIscourses. aud that after lie had replied he
went on. Ii Is not unreasonable to suppose
that thus he went iron! point to point. 1t is
recoldtd that one said 70 him. Lord. teach
us to pray. as john tan-ht his ii-cl,lcs -
I,tI oil
during the progress o. tie sermon on the
Mount.
We are not, then. necessarily driven to
the superstition that this PRAYER was twice
deiivercd-once dUr!n. the sermon on the
Mount. and once when lie was asked to
teach hi, disciples how to pray, as John
taught his. This latter accolln, is perfectly
consistent with the former: and ii is prob
able that the circumstances recorded by
Luke took place wlc, he was delivering the
sermon on the Mount.
Another question OF some interest arises
namely: Was this Lords PRAYER original
with our Master. or was it bat collection
II Tie best Rabbinic prayers, or the best
prayers of the Jewish people atorctime
lni- question Is important only because the
modern spirit puts undue emphasis upon
originality. l. Is the things which are orig
nal which call forth or highest approba-
ion. All what an original sermon What
IN original letter. What an original book
" here one has been we,ricd by repetition
IN original thing is very refreshing. But
ne are III danger OF Over-e=tinating origin
l!ity, and making mere freshness or first
more important than the intrinsic
quality of the thing delivered
This leads Us to state that probably al
most every petition III the Lords PRAYER.
although not 10 be found III precise terms,
ulGht have been found IN sentiment among
he best Jewish writings during or proceed
NC his day. Go not affirm that they were
ound; merely say that far as the value
i the PRAYER is concerned. and so far as
he honor OF the Savior Is concerned, [ ,
you'd just as let as not that you would find i
very one Of them in the Old Testament
1t is not in the originality of the sermon ,
II the mount that its beauty. or power. or ,
Importance or value consist. Nearly every ,
lng.e sentence Of the Beatitudcs can show !
on, IN almost the same words, in the ,
'r"pliets and the Psalms: and the scnt-
lents are contained there over and over ,
gain Blessed are the poor - Blessed |
re they that mourn; Blessed are the i
eacenaktrS; Blessed are the meek - ,
hcse declarations We're made before Christ t
tered them. II rot IN precise phraseology. :
ct III sentiment. And why should we hest a
,te 10 believe that among such a people. y
'iucated specially hv the Divine providence. f
nder the guidance OF the Lord Jehovah. /
here 50 many prayers had been made. ! f
here prayers were 50 universal and where r
hey were 50 necessary ~ the right condi- t
on OF men-|hy shou.,l We hesitate to be- !:
eve ,Aat among sac1 l'copic. and under i:
lch circumstances. fhc-e petitions OF the il
prdS Prayer Were Ottrr-t! ten thousand +
mes! Why Shouts! we suppose that they :,
ere first uttered when Christ delivered fl
IL Sermon On the Mount, | have M :,