The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 249

love. True pr11.yer requires the continu11.l help of the Holy Spirit of God. Pray to thy F11.ther, not to the world; not to catch the ear of men, but only to God. Thou arL speaking; he is listening; he beareth, if the prayer. is really said to him. Otber motives, the thought of men, the desire of human praise, destroy the value of the pr11.yer, empty it of its meaning; it is lost, dissipated among earthly things; it reaches not the e11.rof God. (3) "Use not vain repetitions." The Lord repeated the same words of prayer thrice in bis great agony. The repetition is not condemned, but the multitude of words without thought; the ic.lea that much speaking in itself, apart from spiritual earnestness, ensures a favourable answer. Much speaking is not always much praying. There may be more prayer in a moment of intense supplication than in hours of mere talk ; more real prayer in the silent uplifting of the heart to God than in the loudest cries. The priests of Baal cried from morning until evening, "0 Baal, hear us I" but there was neither voice nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. Hannah prayed in silence; her voice was not beard, but her prayer reached the mercy-seat. The penitent thief lifted up one earnest prayer in his mortal agony; the prayer was answered, and his soul was saved. There is no need of much speaking to give God information of our state and our necessities; he knows what is for our good better than we know ourselves. What is necessary is the hungering and thirsting after righteousness, the intense single- hearted desire of pardon and acceptance with God. III, THE LOBD's PBAYEB. The Lord Jesus gives us a model for our prayers-a prayer very different from the vain repetitions, the much speaking, against which he has been warning us; but, though short and simple, comprehensive and complete. It expresses every possible desire of the instructed Christian; all that we need to ask, whether for the greater glory of God, for ourselves, or for others. He has taught us what we should pray for; we know it, we learned it long ago; we have said it daily from our childhood. It is easy to learn the sacred words, but, alas I hard to pray them. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities; he maketh intercession for us, with. us, in us. He is the great 'l'eacher; he, only he, can teach the great, holy, blessed, difficult art of true acceptable prayer. May he teach us, of his infinite mercy I 1. The address. (1) "Our Father." We Christians are taught to approach God as our Father. That form of address is not common in the Old Testament Scriptures; it occuT'll here e.nd there incidentally. But now we have received the adoption of sons; the Lord Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, gives unto those that are his power to become the sons of God. "I ascend," he said, "to my Fat.her and your Father:" hi.ii Father, indeed, in a far deeper and more mysterious sense, but yet our Father too; for God bath knit together his elect in the mystical body of Christ, and, being made one with Christ, the Etornal Son, they too are sons of God. JI Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father." He bids us say, "Father," our Father. God is our Father by creation; he made us; he sustains us: all that we are and have is his. He is our Father by adoption : JI Ye are all the children of God ey faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." He is our Father, if we be Christians in heart and in truth, by a yet holier bond: "A.s many ea are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." We come to him, we se.y, "Father." 'l'he word implies a great fulness of most blessed meaning. It tells of love, tender care, wisdom, power, on the one sitle; on the other, of confiding affection, reverence, trustfulness, obedience, undoubting faith. Our F11,ther--our; that little wortl is full of meaning; it tells us that we are all one in Christ Jesus, all eq uni in the sight of God. There must be no envy, strife, party spirit, in our hearts, least of all in the hour of prayer; for we are one in Christ. One is our Father, even God; and all we are brethren, Earthly distinctions do not reach into the sphere of religion. "The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all." We come to God not merely as individuals, but as members of a g,eat community, a fellowship, a Church. In the hour of prayer we think not only of ourselves; we pray for others-relations, friends, neighbours, all who are of the household of faith, all the children of the one great Father. 'l'he Lord's Prayer teaches in its opening clause the duty of intercession. (2) "Which art in heaven." "De not rash with thy mouth," saith the Preacher (Eccles. v. 2), "and let not thine heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few." The child gives reverence to its earthly father; our Father is in heaven, and we are here below. 11.J.'l"l'HEW, B  242 TUE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cu. v1. 1-34:.