Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-20
SUNDAY THOUGHTS
on
MORALS MANNERS
BY A CLERGYMAN.
WRITTEN FOR THE DrspArcH.l

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.1
What is called the Lords Prayer" Is
the most wonderful of petitions-in nothing
more wonderful than in its reach. Study it
for moment, clause by clause. "Our
Father" These are the most revolutionary
words ever uttered. They affected moral
change of front in human thoughts. The
gods many of heathendom, and the gods
scientific of Chrlstendom, they transformed
into personal and into q paternal bene-
factor. The power not ourselves, which
makes for righteousness" they disclose
as the only living and true Supreme; an in
finite intelligence, but also an infinite per-
son; omnipotence, but even more love-all
theology in two words.
"Hallowed be Thy name. Here is
reverence. This phrase would Danish the
PROCLAMATION of the name OF God. 1t neces-
states high and holy regard for all things
sacred-the divine word. the house of prayer,
the Lords Day. the dealings of Providence.
Nay. 1t leads us to revere man himself, made
In the image Of Coda miniature deity. As
God is the supreme mystery of eternity, SO
man is the supreme mystery of time. By the
exercise OF knowledge, reason and will, we can
outsee the eagle and ouJrun the reindeer and
outfit the OK and Outright the lion and outride
the sea. We put the planets in our scales and
He1gl bnem- we place nature IN our cruclDie
and make her answer our questions with explo-
sive sparks. Shall we not bow down before
and adore our Maker, our Father, who
shrouds Himself in the mystery of his pavilion
and answers from the secret place of thunderf'
THY kingdom come."-This clause contains
the whole missionary enterprise. We are di-
rected to pray that the earth may be like
heaven. And If to pray, then to work, and If
to work then to pay for it. Hardest Of all, we
are to give ourselves, as well as our money
and our labor and our prayers. What kind Of
benevofence is that which extends only just
around the corner?
"Give us this day our daily bread" Here is
dependence. Who can provide his own bread?
We can prepare the grpund anu SOW the grain
we cannot command a harvest. To puncture q
cloud and make il distil rain, to attemper the
air and oblige 1t TO minister vitality, to tap the
sun and force it to pour forth light and heat, 10
mix the soil with chemical elements and per-
suade it to transmute the death of the seed
into the life OF crop-ciearly, this is as much
beyond human power as creation ITSELF Hence
we are driven to our knees, after all our indus
tries, to pray for our daily bread.
Lead US not into temptation" This is cry
for deliverance. Man Is the movable center Of
circumference Of peril. We are vital from
head TO foot-and most vital of all in the soul.
And our enemies are named legion, for they
are many. With two worlds full of tempters
and the soul for stake, who would not pray
for del1verance?
So praying, we need not despond- Least Of
all are we to borrow trouble. Is God dead?
Oh, exclaims one, the heavens are about to fall
Well, let 'em fall. That is not our concern.
Our business Is not to stay up the heavens but
only to see to it that II they fall they shall come
rest remember those opening words of the
prayer-"Our Father"
That hand which bears creation up
Shall guard his children well.