1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say. Our Father which art in nearen^'HaUowedbe thyname. Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heayen, so in earth.
3 Giye us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins ; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into tempta- tion ; but deliver us from evil.
These verses contain the prayer commonly called the Lord's Prayer. Few passages of Scripture perhaps are so well known as this. The most benighted Roman Catholic can tell us that there is a prayer called " Pater Noster." The most ignorant English child has heard something about " Our Father."
The importance of the Lord's Prayer appears in the simple fact, that our Lord Jesus Christ delivered it twice with very sUght variations. He who never spake a word without good reason, has thought fit to teach us this prayer upon two distinct occasions. Twice the Lord God wrote the ten commandments on tables of stone. (Deut. ix. 10. X. 4.) Twice the Lord Jesus delivered the Lord's Prayer.