The National tribune., 1896-03-19
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

COMBINATIONS OF THE LORDS PRAYER.
Many prominent men and women have ex-
pressed themselves as to the Prayer, given to
the world by our Savior rs model Weappend
| some of their concentrations. hoping to stir
up in the minds OF readers q greater desire to
study this wonderful Prayer. We are. more or
less, governed by the opinions of those whose
judgments We appreciate, and especially by
| those whose character we admire. When one
is going on a foreign journey he is quite in
| cined to secure what information he can as to
tho lands which he purposes to visit; to sec
what travellers in general have to say about
routes. places, buildings. etc, thus to get AN
idea of the prospect before him. As one thus
reads and learns, he grows eager for his
voyage. BE is interested beforehand. He
thinks that scenes so highly praised by the
learned must be exceedingly delightful. So
we would do as to the Lords Prayer. Let us
notice tho conclusions reached by men who
| have examined this Prayer. / believe that in
this way we shall become very DESTROYS of
studying it more carefully. We shall believe
that what so charmed, comforted and guided
| the well-informed and pious must be worthy
orr intense study and devout admiration. We
shall have stimulus for research, meditation
and thought.
Madame De stael has left the following
words showing her great appreciation of the
| Lords Prayer If the Founder of Christianity
had done no more than to teach the human
race to bow before one God, and all pray. Our
Father who art in heaven he would have con-
| ferred an inestimable boon, and given proof Of
| the divinity of his religion"
Thomas Carlyle was reared in most devout
manner. Later in life he left off the use of the
Prayer he learned at home from his mother.
Sometime, however before his death, he began
| to feel the impulses of early days stealing
over him. He lost his wife, and her death
preyed on his mind He became lonely. He
| tells us of his devout impulses, stirred up by
atf1iction and the inroads of advanced age
Emerson's description of Carlyle during his last
! years is sad. He refers to the comfort Carlyle
derived from repeating the Lords Prayer.
| Carlyle himself tells the story. In a letter
which he wrote to his old friend, Mr.. Ersk inc,
| he remarked: i was agreeably surprised by
the sight Of your handwriting again, so kind, so
welcome! The letters are as firm aud honestly
distinct as ever-the mind too, in spite of its
| frail environments, as clear, plump up. calmly
| expectant, as in the best days Right so SO
be it with US ALL till we quit this dim sojourn,
now grown so lonely to US, and our change
come! Our Father which art in heaven, hal
| lowed be Thy name, Thy will be doue;' what
else can we say?
Tho other night, in my sleepless tossings
about, which were growing more and more
miserable, these words that brief and grand
prayer, came strangely into my mind with an
altogether new emphasis, as If written and
shining Tor me in mild, pure splendor on the
black bosom of the night there; when /, as it
were. read them word by word-with sudden
check to my imperfect wanderings, with a sud-
den softness of composure which was much
unexpected.
Not for perhaps 30 or 40 years had once
| formally repeated that prayer; nay, I never
felt before how intensely the voice of mans
soul it is; the Utmost aspiration of all that is
high and pious in poor human nature; right
worthy to be recommended with an After this
manner pray ye.'"
Charles Sumner detested political prayers
offered by Chaplains in the Senate. DR.. Sunder-
land used TO annoy him by making at times
very sly insinuations in his prayers. One day,
however, The Doctor entered the Senate and
simply presented the Lords Prayer to the
mercy seat" just after the devotions, Mr.
Sumner stepped up to the Chaplain and spoke
thus: DR.. Sunderland, that was very elo-
qnent prayer you just offered; very beautiful
prayer; very appropriate prayer-the most
appropriate prayer ever heard you utter''
Matthew Henry, the eminent comment ator.
declared: "The Lords Prayer is letter sent
from earth to heaven. Here is the inscrip.
ton, the person to whom it is addressed
Our Father Here Is the place where He
dwells-'In Heaven The contents: Several
requests to increase His glory and our good
The close Thine is the kingdom. The seal
Amen And, IL you will, the date, too
This day."
We do not realize how much pathos, power.
moral snblimity is in that wonderful Prayer
The elder Booth realized more fully than most
do the significance of each clause. We give an
instance in illustration:
The elder Booth once resided in baltimore
lie was so popular that he frequently received
invitations to be guest at homes then usually
shut against actors lie had finished partaking
OF dinner at one place, and the company had
retired to the drawing.room, when he was re-
questcd, as particular favor to the host and
his fellow-guests to repeat the Lords Prayer
He expressed his willingness to grant the favor
We give the account furnished by one who was
present:
lie slowly and reverently arose from his
chair, trembling with the burden of two great
conceptions. lie had to realize the character,
attributes and presence of the Almighty Being
he was to address. He was TO transform him.
self into poor. SHINING stumbling, benighted,
needy suppIicant, Offering homage, asking
bread, pardon. light and guidance"
One other of the company who was present
makes the following statement:
=" Ii was wonderful to watch the play Of emo
tions that convused his conntenance. He be-
came deadly pale, and his eyes, turned trem.
bling upward, were wet with tears As yet he
had not spoken. The silence could be felt; it
had become absolutely painful, until ut last the
spell was broken if by an electric shock, as
his rich-toned voice syllabled forth, Our
Father Which art in Heaven ETC., with
pathos and fervid soemnity which thrilled all
hearts. He finished the silence continued;
not voice was heard nor muscle moved in
this wrapt audience, until, from remote cor
ner of the room, subdued sob was hoard, and
the old gentleman (the host) stepped forward
with streaming eyes and t0ttering frame. and
seized Booth by the hand. Sir said he. in
broken accents. you have afforded me pleas.
ure for which my whole future life will feel
grateful. am an old man. and every day, from
boyhood to the present time, have repeated
the Lords Prayer; but never heard it before
never!' You are right replied Booth; to
read that prayer as it should be read, caused
me the severest study and labor for 80 years,
aud ! am far from satisfied with my rendering
of that wonderful production. Hardly ono
person in 10000 comprehends how much
beauty, tenderness and grandeur can be con-
densed in a space so simple That prayer
itself sufficiently illustrates the truth OF the
Bible, and stamps upon it the seal of divinity"
So great was the effect produced, says our
informant, that conversation was sustained but
short time longer in subdued monosyla
and almost entirely ceased and, soon after at
an carly hour, the company broke up and re-
tired to their several homes, with sad faces and
full hearts.
At Boston there is a Radical Club. Prof
Pierce, OF Cambridge one time addressed the
members at session of said Club. He was ac-
counted leading mathematician of our coun.
try. AS a scientist, he stood among the first.
10 toll ba (lul hal fha mi adsG nJ