The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-22

VI VIC Cliq uO uAu Cldu oOOut ~. Oui
Father can be said with the most ear
nest and broadcast accent. The Fa-
ther is in heaven. AS the Apostle
says, 'is above all as we'll as through
all" God is everywhere but always
above us, higher, holier and purer
than we are. We are to hallow the
Fathers name. Not that he needs it,
but we need it to culture our souls in
reverence and alteration. 1t is food
and refreshment to our hearts.
Second: thy kingdom come. The
reign of Jesus is as kingdom; not
an earthly kingdom but spiritual.
The Lords kingdom was reign of
faith, of hope, of love. This dispen-
sation and the age of Jesus was for
spiritual power, authority. The ma
terial minded misunderstood Jesus.
In this kingdom the spiritual law, or
the expression of Gods will, will be
recognized and done. Sin is selfish
ness in heart. When the prayer of
the Lord is answered, selfishness will
be at All end. The time may be dis
tant when sin will not hold sway, and
the will of God be faithfully and
reverently obeyed, but this prayer is
a glorious prophecy. This petition
is not meaningless. 1t comes as the
voice of loving God. Evil is to be
overcome.
Selfshness is to be conquered.
Blessed prophecy! With the Apostle,
our hearts say, 1--WE see not yet all
things put under him, but we see
Jesus" The passion of the spiritual
kingdom is not yet obeyed, but faith
in the holy teaching of Jesus, regard
ing Gods patience, love and his will
done now in heaven, make us to know
that good will triumph, that all things
will be brought into subjection, that
at the end of the age or dispensa-
tion of Jesus, God will be all in all.
The word of John the Baptist was
Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at
hand That voice comes to us, to
turn us from evil thought, selfish
ways, and to prepare our own hearts
for the incoming of the realm of di-
| vine law.
Third: Give us this day our daily
bread. The recent revisers of the
Bible saw fit to place in the margin
these words: "Give us our bread for
the coming day." This does not re-
fer to spiritual bread; but to the
chief substance which satisfies our
physical hunger. We are dependent
upon God for material blessings and
sustenance. God is our provider.
Providence is his name, and the
prayer is, that God may not only give
to day, but on the coming day, our
needful bread. God cares for and
provides for our physical wants. 1t is
ours to be content with the loaf of to
day, and pray that the morrow may
bring its further blessing.
Fourth: Aud forgive us our debts
as we forgive our debtors. The
Prayer book of the Church of Eng
land preferred the translation "forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those
who trespass against u.s." Our sins
are our debts. Those who wrong us
are our debtors. We should pray
that our own sins and shortcomings
may be forgiven; but ere the forgive
ness Genes there must be Willingness
to forgive those who have injured us.
The true spirit of this prayer is found
in the thought of Jesus, that if in
coming to the altar with gift, we
remember that we have aught against
our brother, we must leave the gift,
seek the brother, be reconciled to him
then we can come and offer our gift.
This forgiving as we desire to be
forgiven tests a mans faith. 1t leads
him up to the summit, and the man
has to meet it. The revised version
says, "as we have forgiven our debt
ors," showing that we must forgive
before we are forgiven. In praying
this prayer every word has weight
of meaning. We ought not repeat it,
parrot-like, but as men with endow-
ments capabilities and affections in
the very image of him who inspired
it.
Fifth: Lead US not into temptation.
The new version says, "bring us" 4. e.
to bring us not into those trials
which too severely test or try us. God
does not solicit any man to sin.
James says, let no man say when he
is tempted" 81 am tempted of God; for
God cannot be tempted with evil and
he himself tempteth no man; but each
man is tempted when he. is drawn
away by his own lusts and enticed."
But Gods brings us out where our