doest thine almsgiving, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they lose their reward. But when thou doest almsgiving, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly.

Sincerity and Simplicity in Prayer.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily I say unto you, they lose their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain verbosities, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them; for your Father knoweth what things ye need, before ye ask him.

The Lord's Prayer.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

*The Lord's Prayer, or Pater-noster, is a divine and perfect model of what devotion, adoration, and prayer ought to be. It unites solemnity, brevity, simplicity, and practicality, and expresses the greatest thoughts in the plainest words. common version of it, however, seems to require some important corrections, which I proceed to mention:

The

In the first place, the majority of critics are agreed that the clause-"Give us this day our daily bread," does not express the sense of the original, and that we should render it-give us this day our needful or necessary bread, according to the Syriac. The peculiar Greek word epiousion, says Bloomfield, signifies" sufficient for our support"-that which is essential, fitting, and unsuperfluous, according to the prayer of Agur "Feed me with food convenient for me." This needful bread may include the spiritual, mystical, or celestial bread of divine

F

Give us this day our needful bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we should forgive those who trespass against us. And let us not yield to temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. If indeed ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

grace and inspiration for the nourishment of the soul, as well as natural, earthly bread for the nourishment of the body.

Secondly, the phrase - -"Lead us not into temptation," in the common version, seems to be open to serious objections, for the reason assigned by St. James, in the first chapter of his epistle. He there informs us" that every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights," (that God of infinite love, who is good unto all, whose tender mercies are over all his works, and whose mercy endures forever.") He adds, "let no one say when he is tempted I am tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any one, but every one is tempted when he is drawn aside and enticed by his own evil desire." Therefore Bloomfield and many excellent critics construe the verb used as if it were a permissive verb, such as we frequently find in Hebrew and Aramæan, and render the passage thus,-" Suffer us not to be led into temptation, or abandon us not unto temptation, so as to be overcome by it; and this sense is supported by Elsley in his annotations on the Gospels. Suffer us not to be led-ne nos patieris induci, as Cyprian apud Augustin de bon persev. Also, Tertullian, de Orat. Dom, c. viii. They understand this phrase as the Jews interpret it,-to be brought into the hand or power of temptation; not the usual trials, nor yet the general times of persecution. But it is supposed that the phrase does not so much signify to be led into temptation as to be led away in it, or led aside by it, to be brought under by it, and borne down by it Believing this to be the real sense, I have expressed it by the words, let us not yield to temptation, either in its approach or attack. This is at any rate a safe sense, and appears to meet the actual requirements of the case. Moreover, it is supported by St. Paul, who says (1 Cor. x. 13), God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able to bear, but will with the temptation make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it." Other renderings have, however, been proposed by critics. For instance-lead us that we fall not in temptation, or let us not fall in temptation, &c.

The Rule of Fasting,

Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They lose their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Labour for heavenly treasures rather than earthly treasures.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth; where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the spirit: if therefore thy spirit be pure,* thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thy spirit be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness?

Trust in God.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will disregard the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for what ye shall eat or drink as regards your life, nor for what ye shall wear as regards your body. Is not the life more than food, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you, by being anxious, can add one span to his dura

In the symbolic language of Scripture the eye signifies the spirit, or conscience. Thus in Revelations it is said-"The seven eyes are the seven spirits." Thus an evil eye signifies an envious spirit.

tion? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

God's Care of his People.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which lives to-day, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (as the Gentiles seek after these things :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not anxions therefore for the morrow; for the morrow will be anxious for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Duty of Generosity and Candour.

Judge not so as ye would not be judged; condemn not so as ye would not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with what judgment ye judge, ye will be judged; and with the same measure ye mete, it will be measured to you again.

Duty of Self-Reform.

And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one should become perfect as his master. And why beholdest thou the speck that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the splint that is in thine own eye? or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the speck that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the splint that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite! cast out first the splint out of thine own

eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the speck that is in thy brother's eye.*

Piety and Prudence.

Give not a sacrament to scoffers, lest like dogs they turn again and tear you; nor expose your pearls of religion before sensualists, lest like swine they trample them under their feet.

Reward of Prayer.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. What man is there of you, who if his son ask bread, will give him a stone? Or, if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them for this realizes the law and the prophets.

Zeal and Strictness in Religion.

Enter ye in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat: because narrow is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

True Religion known by its Fruits.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits: as every tree is known by its own fruit: for of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes : even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but

* Perhaps the word dokos, variously rendered by splint, beam, or thorn, refers to the disease cataract; for this word in Greek means a bar, that intercepts the light of the eyes, which are called the loopholes or windows of the mind by many ancient writers. See Good's "Study of Medicine."