THE . KING’S BUSINESS
605
COMMENTS FROM SUNDRY SOURCES
By K. L. T EACH us to pray, v, 1. None can teach us to pray like Jesus. He has a per fect knowledge o f God’s:character and pur pose and a perfect knowledge of man’s condition and wants. Jesus alone possesses that knowledge and therefore He alone is the true Mediator.—Saphir. Itr is worth a long term in the school o f Christ to learn to pray.—Bounds. v. 2. When we pray,, say. This prayer, for a succession o f solemn thoughts, for . suitableness- to every condition, for suffi ciency, for conciseness without obscurity, for weight and real importance of its peti tions, is without an equal or rival.—Paley. The prayer is beautiful and symmetrical, like the ipost finished work o f art. The words are plain and unadorned, yet majes tic and so transparent and appropriate that once fixed in the memory no other expres sions ever mix themselves up- with them. It contains all things pertdiriing to life and godliness. In its simplicity, it seems adapted purposely to the weakness o f the inexperi enced and ignorant, yet none can say he is fafniliar with the heights and depths which it reveals.—Saphir. It teaches, that right prayer begins with worship; puts the interests o f the Kingdom before mere per sonal interests; accepts : beforehand the Father’s will and petitions for present need, leaving the future to the Father’s care and love—Scofield. Our Father. In ascertain sense, God is the Father o f all men because He created them and.because, in spite o f sin, they are made in His image. But' He is the Father o f Christians in an altogether new sense. They are His sons by adoption, reconciled to Him by the death o f Christ. None but one who has become a child o f God can rightly use this prayenS-Dummelow, Prayer is here grounded upon relationship, prayer is therefore a child’s petition to an all-wise; all-loving and all-powerful Father-God.—Scofield. Hallowed be Thy namec The model prayer begins with wor ship because worship is the highest spirit-
Brooks. ual' activity o f man. It is higher than petition, j An unspiritual man can ask for benefits but no one can worship who does not in his inmost soul apprehend what pod isp—Dummelow. v. 3, Our daily bread. The prayer acknowledges that we are indebted to God for our simplest boons; asks them.for all; asks them only day by day and asks for no more.—Plummer. There are seven peti tions o f which the first three Pefer to God and the., last four to man. Three is the number o f God; four is the number o f the world. The number three shows that we must begin with God while the number four points out that God will supply all earthly , needs.—Saphir. For spiritual blessings let our prayers be importunate and persevering; for temporal blessings, let them be short, conditional and modest.—Jeremy Taylor. V. 4. Forgive us. .Not a prayer o f .an unsaved sinner for the forgiveness o f sins that are destroying him forever, but a prayer o f the child of God concerning sins that hinder communion with the Father?. If we are to enjoy the forgiveness that brings unbroken fellowship with God, we must on our part forgive those who have injured us.—Torrey. Dead not into temptation. No man can ask honestly, hopefully to be deliv ered from temptation, unless he has hirh- self honestly and firmly determined to do the best he can. to keep out o f it,^Plum mer. God do^s not tempt men (Jas. 1:13) but He does bring men into places where they aré tempted. <.(Job 1:12; 2 Mark 1:12, 13), But see 1 Con 10:13.—Torrey .1 v. 8 . Because o f importunity. If, a churlish man can be forced by importunity to give against his will, how much more can persevering prayer bring down ,from the bountiful Father in heaven, all good things. —Dummelow. It is ardent prayer that opens heaven.—Young. Patience and per severance are never more thoroughly Chris tian graces than when features o f prayer. — Prime. We should pray with as much earnestness as those who expect everything
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