Vers. 12-15.-The Lord's Prayer (part 3). Having considered three of the seven petitions of this wonderful prayer, we come to consider those remaining, which have reference to the forgiveness of evil and deliverance from the evil one. I. Tim FORGIVENESS OF EVIL. 1. We need thi,s, (1) !<'or we inherit depravity with its guilt. God deals with individuals as belonging toa race. We are our brothers' keepers. We are responsible for our children. So are we responsible for our fathers. The inclindual is not lost in the public conscience. Directors of joint-stock companies should remember this. (2) For sins of personal rebellion. From our youth up. Ever since we have professed. to be Christians. (8) For service imperfectly rendered. Imperfect obedience does not meet the requirements or a Law which, like the La waiver is perfect. Has our conduct before men been faultless? Has our spirit before God°bee~ faultless? 2. It is wnditionally promis~d. (1) "Forgive us our debts, as we-" The Bible knows nothing of unconditional mercy. Man is ever treated by God as a moral agent. (2) The atonement of Christ is a condition of mercy. "Our debts," equivalent to "trespasses" (ver. 14), equivalent to "sins" (Luke xi. 4), Sin contracts a debt to be paid in suffering. If we shelter not in the vicarious suffering of Christ we must still suffer in person for the satisfaction of the Law of God. (3) Repentance ~lso is a condition of mercy. Note: A condition not of merit, yet of necessity. We cannot receive the atonement without it. The hearty reception of the atonement is the per- fecting of repentance. (4) There is no mercy for the unmerciful. "Forgive us as we also have forgiven." Not that our forgiving merits God's forgiveness. Here it is as in earth so in heaven (see vers. 14, 15). Confer also the parable of the debtors (eh. xviii 85). The ten thousand talents are equivalent to £2,400,000; while the one hundred pence are equivalent to £3 10s. Can the sinner ever pay all his debt to God? He asks eternal vengeance on himself who, with an implacable heart, prays this prayer. II. DEFENCE AGAINST THE EVIL ONE. 1. Lead us not into temptation. (1) God is not the Author of temptation (see Jas. i. 13). Note: 'l'emptation is ever in our way. (2) This is au entreaty that God should not abandon us in temptation. So to abandon us would be to deliver us over to Satan (cf. Acts xxvi.18; 1 Cor. v. 6; 2 Tim. iv.18). (3) This prayer implies that we should have such diffidence of our own strength as to lead us to deprecate any severe trial of our fidelity. We should not covet martyrdom, lest in the trial we should fail. (4) The spirit of this prayer wiH restrain us from rushing into <iircum.stances of exposure to temptation. IC is wanting in those who make haste to be rich (see I Tim. vi. 9). This passion leads to business gambling. To lotteries. Raffling at Church bazaars gives a sacred sanction to some of the worst evils of the world. 'l'he spirit of this prayer is wonting in those who coquette with the world in any of its evils. 2. Deliver 'U/1 from the evil one. (1) 'l'hen is Satan ubiqui- tous? For this petition ascends simultaneously from millions scattered over the world. In his emissaries he is, as the British monarch is representatively in all our colonial dependencies and in all foreign courts. (2) Satan's representatives are "legion." His hosts are marshalled under his generalship. What a call to us for vigilance I (3) God a.lone can curb the power of Satan. The power of Satan was sufficient to delay. Gabriel for one and twenty days. To triumph over Satan Gabriel needed the help of Michael, i.e. of Christ (see Dan. L 6, 13). Foolish is the man that would at his own charges engage in a warfare with such an antagonist. Foolish is the man who holds out in rebellion against the Conqueror of Satan. (4) To be delivered from the evil one is equivalent to the hallowing of the Name of God. '.!.'he petitions of this prayer, first and last, are wondrously interdependent.-J. A. M.
Vers. 1~18.-Fasting. This is nowhere in the gospel enjoined as a duty. It is, like the profession of the Nazarite, left to individual freedom. The service of freedom is the service of love (cf. Luke ii. 37; Acts x. 30; xiii. 3). The spirit of the fast is in the heart (cf. Ps. xxxv. 13; Isa. !viii. 5--7). The usefulness of fa.sting is recognized in the directions here given as to the manner of its use. It is useful as a means to dispose us to the fulfilmeut of duties enjoined. Note- L 'l'HAT THE PIETY OF OBTENTATIOll' 18 SPURIOUS. 1. It is an inversion of the highest propridy. (1) For it prefers human to Divine applause. However indebted we may be to our fellows, we are infinitely indebted to God. For life. For health. For all things, (2) To seek the praise of men rather than the praise of God is the superlative on. v1. 1-34.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BT MATTHEW. 269