Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-01-27

Eound-A Learned and Concise Re-
View Of the Same.
Lesson for January 80.
N Golden Text.-"Pray to thy Father
which is In secret."--Matt. O: O.
This lesson teaches how to pray. 1t is
found In Matt. Q: 5-15. The sermon on
the mount is unity. II may not be,
probably Is not, the record of words ali
OF which were spoken at this period Of
Jesus ministry. In referring to har-
mony Of the gospels 1t will be found that
many verses Of the sermon have parallels
at different places In the other gospels.
Some of them, many of them, were doubt
less repeated But certain sections, no
tably Z: GA, seem to be more appropri-
ately placed where Luke locates them
In the Perean ministry-because Luke
gives them suitable context, whereas in
Matthew they seem isolated. But the
greater part of Matthews report of the
sermon in chapters 5, @ and shows a
plain progress of thought. Not all read
ers will agree to any attempted analysis
of the sermon. The most helpful exercise
is to work out an analysis for oneself.
The general subject of the sermon is un-
doubtedly the nature and principles Of
the new kingdom.
Explanatory.
'When thou prayest": in the revised
version, following better text, "when We
pray" No exaggerated picture is here
drawn of the prayer customs of the time.
1t was and still is the habit of orientals
to be ostentatious in their prayers, choos-
fno .>Io nj s,,f, tIxx
using loud tones calculated to attract at
tention. 1t is true that when such usage
once became customary, worthy and sim
cere men might follow it without reflect
ing how contrary it was to the true ma
ture of prayer. 1t is hardly to be infer
red from Christ's words that he calls all
who pray in conspicuous manner hypo-
critics. He defines his meaning by the
words that follow: that they may be seen
Of men," When that is the motive of a
prayer, whether it be in pulpit or pew, on
the street or in the hour of extremity, the
warning Is appropriate.
Vain repetitions, 1t is to be feared, wen
not confined to the "heathen," that is, the
Gentiles. The Jews themselves were Civ
en- to the same practice. But it was a
heathenish practice, nevertheless, one log
ically associated with the notion that God
must be persuaded by a series of entrea-
ties. BY the way, the use of the very
prayer which our Lord gave on this oc-
casion may become vain repetition"
Perhaps ii Is wise to use it regularly as a
part of frequent services, but it can hard
ly be of any spiritual value If most of
those who repeat il do so mechanically.
"Your Father knoweth what things We
have need of before We ask him." Bruce
comments: "Why then pray at all? Be
cause we cannot receive unless we desire,
and il we desire, we will pray; also, eb-
cause things worth getting are worth ask
ing. Only pray always as to Being well
informed and willing, in few words and
in faith"
after this manner therefore pray ye":
Notice carefully these words: after this
manner" does not mean lin this precise
FORM" If Jesus had meant to institute
the beginning of a Christian ritual, he
would have spoken differently. He is,
throughout this sermon, dealing with prin.
ciples. The principle here is, prayer should
be simple and sincere. We should pray
as to a loving Father who knows our
needs and is willing to supply them; we
should ask him for the things that we
want. Some Of the things which we
should desire and pray for are indicated
In this model prayer" called so common
ly, "The Lords Prayer" 1t is certainly
true that IL we are to have any form OF
prayer, we could not find better.
Thy kingdom come" In this briel
phrase is summed up petitions innumera-
BILE and vast. That the kingdom may
come, the one who prays pledges himself
to obey the laws of the kingdom and to
hasten its coming in every way possible
to himself. The doing of Gods will, the
subject of the next petition, is the most
important means to that end
Forgive us our debts; this is the form
Of the prayer most commonly used. The
revised version reads, 'as we also have
forgiven our debtors" Remember that
Jesus principles of prayer are two, not
only simplicity, but sincerity.
Deliver us from evil'': here the revised
version reads "from the evil one" the
lone" being supplied; that is, the Greek
word permits of either Interpretation, be-
ing rather masculine or neuter. Most
people prefer the old rendering, and with
good reason. The last words, ''for thine
IL the hinSuOli, uHu the power, unu the
glory, forever. Amen" probably do not
belong in the gospel. They are omitted
by the best manuscripts, and do not APP
pear in the revised version. While their
omission In the recital of the prayer seems
to leave 1t incomplete, because we have
become so accustomed to them that is
hardly the point at issue. II Jesus did
not speak them, why should we care to re-
tain them merely because they are famil-
lar, and unquestionably express truth ?
Especially is this true when we remember
that this prayer is not n ceremonial form
to be followed slavishly, end that Luke's
report Of 1t is different in expression,
though not in meaning.
Teaching Hints.
No better passage can be found from
which to teach many things that ought to
be said about prayer. Prayer, in our
own ''non-ritualistic" churches, constant
ly tends to become formal and meaning
less. Children and young people, accus-
toned to the stereotyped phrases of the
pulpit and the prayer meeting, soon I'M
learn the unstudied naturalness of child
ish prayers, and learn to use such phrases
as "bless all those for whom we should