Origen

On Prayer

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Things in themselves so supremely great, so far a ove man, so utterly a ove our perisha le nature, as to e impossi le for the ra!e of rational mortals to grasp, as the "ill of #o$ e!ame possi le in the immeasura le a un$an!e of the Divine gra!e "hi!h streams forth from #o$ upon men, through %esus Christ the minister of His unsurpassa le gra!e to"ar$ us, an$ through the !ooperant &pirit' Thus, though it is a stan$ing impossi ility for human nature to a!(uire )is$om, y "hi!h all things have een esta lishe$ * for all things, a!!or$ing to Davi$, #o$ ma$e in "is$om * from eing impossi le it e!omes possi le through our +or$ %esus Christ, "ho "as ma$e for us "is$om from #o$ an$ righteousness an$ san!tifi!ation an$ re$emption' ,or "hat or "ho is man that he shall -no" the !ounsel of #o$, or "ho shall !on!eive "hat that +or$ "illeth. &in!e the thoughts of mortals are "ea-ling an$ our purposes are prone to fail/ for the o$y that is !orrupti le "eighs $o"n soul, an$ min$ "ith its store of thought is ur$ene$ y it0s earthly ta erna!le/ an$ things on earth "e fore!ast "ith $iffi!ulty, ut things in heaven "hoever yet tra!e$ out. )ho "oul$ not say that it is impossi le for man to tra!e out things in heaven. 1et this impossi le thing, y the surpassing gra!e of #o$, e!omes possi le/ for he "ho "as !aught up unto a thir$ heaven tra!e$ out things in the three heavens through having hear$ unuttera le utteran!es "hi!h it "as not permitte$ for man to spea-' )ho !an say that it is possi le for the min$ of the +or$ to e -no"n y man. 2ut this, too, #o$ gra!iously gives through Christ "ho sai$ to His $is!iples3 4No longer $o I !all you servants, e!ause the servant -no"s not "hat his lor$0s "ill is, ut I have !alle$ you frien$s, e!ause all the things that I have hear$ from my ,ather I have ma$e -no"n to you/ so that through Christ there is ma$e -no"n to them the "ill of one "ho, "hen He tea!hes them the "ill of the +or$, has no $esire to e their lor$ any longer ut instea$ e!omes a frien$ to those "hose lor$ he "as efore5' 6oreover, as no one -no"s the things of man save the &pirit of man that is in him, so also no one -no"s the things of #o$ save the &pirit of #o$' No" if no one -no"s the things of #o$ save the &pirit of #o$, it is impossi le that a man shoul$ -no" the things of #o$' 2ut mar- ho" this too e!omes possi le3 ut "e, he says, have re!eive$ not the spirit of the "orl$ ut the spirit "hi!h is from #o$, that "e may -no" the things gra!iously given to us y #o$, an$ these also "e spea- not in "or$s taught of human "is$om ut in those taught of the &pirit' 2ut I thin-, right pious

an$ in$ustrious Am rosius, an$ right $is!reet an$ manful Tatiana, from "hom I avo" that "omanly "ea-ness has $isappeare$ as truly as it ha$ from &arah of ol$, you are "on$ering to "hat purpose all this has een sai$ in prefa!e a out things impossi le for man e!oming possi le y the gra!e of #o$, "hen the su 7e!t pres!ri e$ for our $is!ourse is Prayer' The fa!t is, I elieve it to e itself one of those things "hi!h, 7u$ge$ y our "ea-ness, are impossi le, !learly to set forth "ith a!!ura!y an$ reveren!e a !omplete a!!ount of prayer, an$ in parti!ular of ho" prayer ought to e offere$, "hat ought to e sai$ to #o$ in prayer, "hi!h seasons are more, "hi!h less, suita le for prayer''' The very apostle "ho y reason of the a un$an!e of the revelations is an8ious that no one shoul$ a!!ount to him more than he sees or hears from him, !onfesses that he -no"s not ho" to pray as he ought, for "hat "e ought to pray, he says, "e -no" not ho" to as "e ought' It is ne!essary not merely to pray ut also to pray as "e ought an$ to pray "hat "e ought' ,or even though "e are ena le$ to un$erstan$ "hat "e ought to pray, that is not a$e(uate if "e $o not a$$ to it the right manner also' On the other han$ "hat is the use of the right manner to us if "e $o not -no" to pray for "hat "e ought. Of these t"o things the one, I mean the 9"hat "e ought0 of prayer, is the language of the prayer, "hile the 9as "e ought0 is the $isposition of him "ho prays' Thus the former is illustrate$ y 4As- for the great things an$ the little shall e a$$e$ unto you5, an$ 4As- for the heavenly things an$ the earthly shall e a$$e$ unto you5, an$ 4Pray for them that a use you5, an$ 4Entreat therefore the +or$ of the harvest that He sen$ out "or-ers unto his harvest5, an$ 4Pray that you enter not into temptation5, an$ 4Pray that your flight e not in "inter or on a &a ath5, an$ 4In praying a le not5 an$ the li-e passages3 the latter y 4I $esire therefore that men pray in ever pla!e lifting up holy han$s "ithout anger an$ (uestioning, an$ in li-e manner that "omen array themselves $e!ently in simpli!ity, "ith mo$esty an$ $is!retion, not in or gol$ or pearls or !ostly raiments, ut, as e!omes "omen of pious profession, through goo$ "or-s' Instru!tive too, for prayer 9as "e ought0 is the passage3 4If then you art offering your gift at the altar an$ there thin- you that your rother hath aught against you, leave there your gift efore the altar, an$ go a!- * first e re!on!ile$ to your rother, an$ then !ome an$ offer your gift5/ for "hat greater gift !an e sent up to #o$ from a rational !reature than fragrant "or$s of prayer that is offere$ from a !ons!ien!e $evoi$ of taint from &in. &imilarly instru!tive is 4Deprive not one another, save y agreement for a season that you may give yourselves to prayer an$ may e together at another time again, in or$er that &atan may not have o!!asion to e8alt over you y reason of your in!ontinen!e' ,or prayer 9as "e ought0 is restraine$ unless the marriage mysteries "hi!h !laim our silen!e e !onsummate$ "ith more of solemnity an$ $eli eration an$ less of passion, the 9agreement0 referre$ to in the passage o literating the $is!or$ of passion, an$ $estroying in!ontinen!e, an$ preventing &atan0s mali!ious e8ultation' 1et again instru!tive for prayer 9as "e ought0 is the passage3 4If you are stan$ing at prayer, forgive aught that you have against any man5/ an$ also the passage in Paul 4Any man "ho prays or prea!hes "ith !overe$ hea$ $ishonours his hea$, an$ any "oman "ho prays or prea!hes "ith unveile$ hea$ $ishonors her hea$5 is $es!riptive of the right manner of

prayer' Paul -no"s all these sayings, an$ !oul$ !ite, "ith su tle statement in ea!h !ase, manifol$ more from la" an$ prophets an$ gospel fulfillment, ut in the mo$eration, yes, an$ in the truthfulness of his nature, an$ e!ause he sees ho" mu!h, after all of them, is la!-ing to -no"le$ge of the right "ay to pray "hat he ought, he says 4 ut "hat "e ought to pray "e -no" not ho" to as "e ought5, an$ a$$s thereto the sour!e from "hi!h a man0s $efi!ien!y is ma$e up if though ignorant he has ren$ere$ himself "orthy to have the $efi!ien!y ma$e up "ithin him3 4The &pirit himself more than inter!e$es "ith #o$ in sighs unspea-a le an$ He that sear!hes hearts -no"s "hat is the min$ of the &pirit, e!ause His inter!ession on ehalf of saints is a!!or$ing to #o$5' Thus the &pirit "ho !ries 4A a ,ather5 in the hearts of the lesse$, -no"ing "ith soli!itu$e that their sighing in this ta erna!le !an ut "eigh $o"n the alrea$y fallen or transgressors, 4more than inter!e$es "ith #o$ in sighs unspea-a le5, for the great love an$ sympathy He feels for men ta-ing our sighs upon himself/ an$, y virtue of the "is$om that resi$es in Him, ehol$ing our &oul hum le$ 9unto $ust0 an$ shut "ithin the o$y 9of humiliation,0 He employs no !ommon sighs "hen He more than inter!e$es "ith #o$ ut unspea-a le ones a-in to the unuttera le "or$s "hi!h a man may not spea-' Not !ontent to inter!e$e "ith #o$, this &pirit intensifies His inter!ession, 4more than inter!e$es5, for those "ho more than !on(uer, as I elieve su!h as Paul "as, "ho says 4Nay in all these "e more than !on(uer5' He simply 4inter!e$es5, I thin-, not for those "ho more than !on(uer, nor again for those "ho are !on(uere$, ut for those "ho !on(uer' A-in to the saying 4"hat "e ought to pray "e -no" not ho" to as "e ought, ut the &pirit more than inter!e$es "ith #o$ in sighs unspea-a le5, is the passage 4I "ill pray "ith the &pirit, an$ I "ill pray "ith the un$erstan$ing also3 I "ill sing "ith the spirit/ an$ I "ill sing "ith the un$erstan$ing also5' ,or even our un$erstan$ing is una le to pray unless the spirit lea$s it in prayer "ithin hearing of it as it "ere, anymore than it !an sing or hymn, "ith rhythmi! !a$en!e an$ in unison, "ith true measure an$ in harmony, the ,ather in Christ, unless the &pirit "ho sear!hes all things even the $epth of #o$ first praise an$ hymn Him "hose $epth He has sear!he$ an$, as He ha$ the po"er, !omprehen$e$' I thin- it must have een the a"a-ene$ !ons!iousness of human "ea-ness falling short of prayer in the right "ay, a ove all reali:e$ as he listene$ to great "or$s of intimate -no"le$ge falling from the &avior0s lips in prayer to the ,ather, that move$ one of the $is!iples of %esus to say to the +or$ "hen He !ease$ praying, 4+or$, tea!h us to pray, even as %ohn also taught his $is!iples5' The "hole train of language is as follo"s3 4An$ it !ame to pass, as He "as at prayer in a !ertain pla!e, that one of His $is!iples sai$ to Him "hen He !ease$ 4+or$, tea!h us to pray even as %ohn also taught his $is!iples5' ,or is it !on!eiva le that a man "ho ha$ een rought up un$er instru!tion in the la" an$ hearing of the "or$s of the prophets an$ "as no stranger to the synagogue ha$ no -no"le$ge "hatsoever of prayer until he sa" the +or$ praying in a !ertain pla!e. It is a sur$ to preten$ that he "as one "ho $i$ pray after the %e"ish pra!ti!e ut sa" that he nee$e$ fuller -no"le$ge as to the pla!e in referen!e to prayer' )hat "as it, too, in

referen!e to prayer that %ohn use$ to tea!h the $is!iples "ho !ame to him for aptism from %erusalem an$ all %u$ea an$ the !ountry roun$ a out, ut !ertain things of "hi!h, as one "ho "as greater than a prophet, he ha$ vision in referen!e to prayer, "hi!h I elieve he "oul$ not $eliver to all "ho "ere apti:e$ ut privately to those "ho "ere $is!iples "ith a vie" to aptism. &u!h are the prayers, "hi!h are really spiritual e!ause the spirit "as praying in the heart of the saints, re!or$e$ in s!ripture, an$ they are full of unuttera ly "on$erful $e!larations' In the first oo- of ;ings there is the prayer of Hannah, partially, e!ause the "hole of it "as not !ommitte$ to "riting sin!e she "as 9spea-ing in her heart0 "hen she perservere$ in prayer efore the +or$/ an$ in Psalms, the seventeenth psalm is entitle$ 4A prayer of Davi$5, an$ the ninetieth 4A prayer of 6oses, man of #o$5, an$ the hun$re$ an$ se!on$ 4A prayer of a poor man at a time he is "eary an$ pours forth his suppli!ation efore the +or$5' These are prayers "hi!h, e!ause truly prayers ma$e an$ spo-en "ith the spirit, are also full of the $e!larations of the "is$om of #o$, so that one may say of the truths they pro!laim 4)ho is "ise that he shall un$erstan$ them. An$ un$erstan$ing, then he shall fully -no" them5' &in!e therefore it is so great an un$erta-ing to "rite a out prayer, in or$er to thin- an$ spea- "orthily of so great a su 7e!t, "e nee$ the spe!ial illumination of the ,ather, an$ the tea!hing of the first orn )or$ himself, an$ the in"ar$ "or-ing of the &pirit, I pray as a man * for I y no means attri ute to myself any !apa!ity for prayer * that I may o tain the &pirit of prayer efore I $is!ourse upon it, an$ I entreat that a $is!ourse full an$ spiritual may e grante$ to us an$ that the prayers re!or$e$ in the #ospels may e elu!i$ate$' &o let us no" egin our $is!ourse on Prayer CHAPTER II &CRIPTURA+ U&E& O, THE #ENERA+ )ORD& ,OR PRA1ER &o far as I have o serve$, the first instan!e of the term prayer that I fin$ is "hen %a!o , a fugitive from his rother Esau0s "rath, "as on his "ay to 6esopotamia at the suggestion of Isaa! an$ Re e!!a' The passage runs3 An$ %a!o vo"e$ a vo" <praye$ a prayer=, saying * If the +or$ #o$ "ill e "ith me, an$ guar$ me in this "ay that I am going, an$ give me rea$ to eat an$ raiment to put on, an$ ring me a!- in safety to my father0s house, then shall the +or$ e my #o$ an$ this stone "hi!h I have set up as a pillar shall e for me #o$0s house, an$ of all that you "ill give me I "ill give you tithe' It shoul$ also to e remar-e$ that the term prayer is in many pla!es is $ifferent from prayer as "e spea- of it * as "hen applie$ in the !ase of one "ho professes that he "ill $o !ertain things in e8!hange for o taining !ertain other things from #o$' The e8pression prayer is, ho"ever, employe$ in our usual sense >in early te8ts?' Thus in E8o$us after the s!ourge of frogs, the se!on$ in or$er of the ten, 4Pharaoh !alle$ for 6oses an$ Aaron an$ sai$ to them3 Pray unto the +or$ for me that He "ith$ra" the frogs from me an$ from my people/ an$ I "ill sen$ the people forth that they may sa!rifi!e to the +or$5'

An$ if, e!ause Pharaoh0s "or$ is a"@thar0 anyone shoul$ e s!epti!al as to a"@thar0 meaning here prayer as "ell as vo", he shoul$ o serve "hat follo"s3 46oses sai$ to Pharaoh, 9;in$ly tell me "hen I am to pray <a"@thar0= for you an$ for your offi!ials an$ for your people, that the frogs may e remove$ from you an$ your houses an$ e left only in the Nile'05 In the !ase of the fleas, the thir$ s!ourge, I have o serve$ that neither $oes Pharaoh entreat that prayer e ma$e nor $oes 6oses pray' In the !ase of the flies, the fourth, he says3 Pray therefore unto the +or$ for me' Then 6oses also sai$3 I "ill go out from you an$ pray unto #o$ an$ the flies shall go a"ay from Pharaoh an$ his servants an$ his people tomorro"' An$ shortly after3 &o 6oses "ent out from Pharaoh an$ praye$ unto #o$' Again in the !ase of the fifth an$ the si8th s!ourge neither $i$ Pharaoh entreat that prayer shoul$ e ma$e nor $i$ 6oses pray, ut in the !ase of the seventh Pharaoh sent an$ !alle$ for 6oses an$ Aaron an$ sai$ to them3 I have sinne$ this time/ the +or$ is righteous, I an$ my people are impious' Therefore pray unto the +or$ that there e an en$ of thun$er an$ hail an$ fire' An$ shortly after3 6oses "ent out from Pharaoh outsi$e the !ity, an$ stret!he$ forth his han$s unto the +or$ an$ there "as an en$ to the thun$er' )hy is it not as in the foregoing !ases. An$ he praye$, ut he stret!he$ forth his han$s unto the +or$' That is a (uestion to e !onsi$ere$ more !onveniently else"here' In the !ase of the eighth s!ourge, ho"ever, Pharaoh says''' an$ pray <a"@thar0= to the +ORD your #o$ that at the least he remove this $ea$ly thing from me5' &o 6oses "ent out from Pharaoh an$ praye$ <a"@thar0= unto #o$' )e sai$ that the term prayer <a"@thar0= is, as in %a!o 0s !ase, in many pla!es employe$ in a sense other than the !ustomary' In +eviti!us for instan!e3 The +or$ spo-e to 6oses saying3 &pea- to the !hil$ren of Israel/ an$ you shall say unto them3 )hoever vo"s <na"@$ar0= a vo" <neh0@$er=, setting a pri!e upon his soul to the +or$, his pri!e, if a male from t"enty to si8ty years, shall e fifty $i$ra!hims of silver, san!tuary stan$ar$' An$ in Num ers3 An$ the +or$ spo-e to 6oses saying3 &pea- to the Chil$ren of Israel/ an$ you shall say unto them3 6an or "oman, "hoever vo"s <na"@ $ar0= a great vo" of !onse!ration to the +or$, shall e !onse!rate from "ine an$ strong $rin- * an$ so on of the so@!alle$ Na:arite/ then, shortly after3 an$ shall hallo" his hea$ in that $ay in "hi!h he "as hallo"e$ to the +or$ for the $ays of the vo"' An$ again shortly after3 This is the la" for him that has vo"e$ "hen he shall have fulfille$ the $ays of his vo"''' / an$ again shortly after3 An$ after that, he that has vo"e$ "ill $rin- "ine' This is the la" for him that has vo"e$, "hoever has vo"e$ his votive gift to the +or$, apart from "hat his han$ may fin$ y virtue of his vo" "hi!h he has vo"e$ a!!or$ing to the la" of !onse!ration' An$ to"ar$s the en$ of Num ers3 An$ 6oses spo-e to the rulers of the tri es of the Chil$ren of Israel saying, This is the thing "hi!h the +or$ has $e!ree$3 A man "ho has vo"e$ a vo" to the +or$ or s"orn an oath or entere$ a on$, on his soul shall not $ese!rate his "or$3 all that has gone out of his mouth shall he $o' An$ if a "oman has vo"e$ a vo" to the +or$ or entere$ a on$ in the house of her father in her youth, an$ her father has hear$ her vo"s an$ her on$s that she entere$

into against her soul, an$ her father has let them pass in silen!e, all her vo"s shall stan$, an$ her on$s that she entere$ into against her soul shall remain3 after "hi!h he lays $o"n sun$ry other la"s for su!h a "oman' In this sense it is "ritten in Prover s3 >I have a pea!e offering3 to$ay I pay my vo"s/ an$ a foolish son is a father0s shame3 unhallo"e$ are vo"s from a harlot0s hire/ an$? it is a snare to a man to hallo" hastily anything of his o"n3 for after vo"ing !omes repenting' An$ in E!!lesiastes3 2etter not vo" than vo" "ithout paying/ an$ in the A!ts of the Apostles3 There are among us four men of their o"n a!!or$ un$er a vo"' I thought it not out of pla!e first to $istinguish the meaning of prayer <a"@thar0= in its t"o senses, an$ similarly of prayer <neh0@$er=, for the latter turn in a$$ition to its !ommon an$ !ustomary general usage, is also employe$, in the sense "hi!h "e are a!!ustome$ to atta!h to vo" in "hat is tol$ of Hannah in the first oo- of &amuel3 No" Eli the priest "as sitting on a seat at the $oor"ay of the temple of the +or$' An$ she "as in itterness of soul an$ praye$ <pa"@lal0= unto the +or$ an$ "ept sore' An$ she vo"e$ <na"@$ar0= a vo" <neh0@$er= an$ sai$3 O +or$ of hosts, if you "ill in$ee$ loo- on the humiliation of your on$"oman an$ remem er me an$ forget not your on$"oman an$ "ill give to your on$"oman male see$, then "ill I give him in gift to the +or$ all the $ays of his life, an$ no ra:or shall !ome upon his hea$' An$ yet in this instan!e, one may, not "ithout plausi ility, "ith spe!ial regar$ to the "or$s 4she praye$ <pa"@lal0= unto the +or$5, 4an$ she vo"e$ a vo"5, As- "hether, as she has $one oth of t"o things, that is 4praye$ unto the +or$5 4an$ vo"e$ a vo"5, the "or$ praye$ < pa"@lal0= on the one han$ is not employe$ in our !ustomary signifi!ation of prayer <a"@thar0=, an$ 4vo"e$ a vo"5 on the other han$ in the sense in "hi!h it is employe$ in +eviti!us an$ Num ers' ,or 4I "ill give him in gift to the +or$ all the $ays of his life, an$ no ra:or shall !ome upon his hea$5 is stri!tly not a prayer ut su!h a vo" as %ephthah also vo"e$ in the passage/ an$ %ephthah vo"e$ a vo" to the +or$ an$ sai$3 If you "ill in$ee$ $eliver the !hil$ren of Ammon into my han$, then it shall e that "hoever !omes out of the $oors of my house to meet me on my return in pea!e from the Chil$ren of Ammon shall e the +or$0s an$ I "ill offer him up as a urnt offering CHAPTER III O2%ECTION& TO PRA1ER If then I must ne8t, as you have urge$, set forth in the first pla!e the arguments of those "ho tol$ that nothing is a!!omplishe$ as a result of prayers an$ therefore allege that prayer is superfluous, I shall not hesitate to $o that also a!!or$ing to my a ility * the term prayer eing no" use$ in its more !ommon an$ general sense' In su!h $isrepute in$ee$ is the vie" an$ to su!h a $egree has it faile$ to o tain !hampions of $istin!tion that, among those "ho a$mit a Provi$en!e an$ set a #o$ over the universe, not a soul !an e foun$ "ho $oes not elieve in prayer' The opinion <sentiment= elongs either to utter atheists "ho $eny the e8isten!e of #o$, or assume a #o$, as far as the name goes, ut $eprive Him of provi$en!e' Alrea$y, it

must e sai$, the a$verse in"or-ing, "ith intent to "rap the most impious of opinions aroun$ the name of Christ an$ aroun$ the tea!hing of the &on of #o$, has ma$e some !onverts on the nee$lessness of prayer * a sentiment "hi!h fin$ !hampions in those "ho y every means $o a"ay "ith out"ar$ forms, es!he"ing aptism an$ eu!harist ali-e, misrepresenting the &!riptures as not a!tually meaning this that "e !all prayer ut as tea!hing something (uite $ifferent from it' Those "ho re7e!t prayers, "hile, that is to say, setting a #o$ over the universe an$ affirming Provi$en!e * for it is not my present tas- to !onsi$er the statements of those "ho y every means $o a"ay "ith a #o$ or Provi$en!e * might reason as follo"s3 #o$ -no"s all things efore they !ome to e' There is nothing that upon its entran!e into e8isten!e is then first -no"n y Him as previously un-no"n' )hat nee$ to sen$ up prayer to One "ho, even efore "e pray, -no"s "hat things "e have nee$ of. ,or the heavenly ,ather -no"s "hat things "e have nee$ of efore "e as- Him' It is reasona le to elieve that as ,ather an$ Artifi!er of the universe "ho loves all things that are an$ a hors nothing that He has ma$e, (uite apart from prayer He safely manages the affairs of ea!h li-e a father "ho !hampions his infant !hil$ren "ithout a"aiting their entreaty "hen they are either utterly in!apa le of as-ing or through ignoran!e often $esirous of getting the opposite of "hat is to their profit an$ a$vantage' )e men !ome further short of #o$ even than the merest !hil$ren of the intelligen!e of their parents' An$ in all li-elihoo$ the things that are to e are not only fore-no"n ut prearrange$ y #o$, an$ nothing ta-es pla!e !ontrary to His prearrangement' )ere anyone to pray for sunrise he "oul$ e thought a simpleton for entreating through prayer for the o!!urren!e of "hat "as to ta-e pla!e (uite apart from his prayer3 In li-e manner a man "oul$ e a fool to elieve that his prayer "as responsi le for the o!!urren!e of "hat "as to ta-e pla!e in any !ase even ha$ he never praye$' An$ again, as it is the height of ma$ness to imagine that, e!ause one suffers $is!omfort an$ fever un$er the sun at &ummer &olsti!e, the &un is through prayer to e transferre$ to the &pringtime Ao$ia!, in or$er that one may have the enefit of temperate air, so it "oul$ e the height of infatuation to imagine that y reason of prayer one "oul$ not e8perien!e the misfortunes that meet the ra!e of men y ne!essity' 6oreover, if it e true that sinners are estrange$ from irth an$ the righteous man has een set apart from his mother0s "om , an$ if, "hile as yet they are un orn an$ have $one neither goo$ nor evil, it is sai$ the el$er shall serve the younger, that the ele!tive purpose of #o$ may stan$ ase$ not on "or-s ut on the Caller, it is in vain that "e entreat for forgiveness of sins or to re!eive a spirit of strength to the en$ that, Christ empo"ering us, "e may have strength for all things' If "e are sinners, "e are estrange$ from irth3 if on the other han$ "e "ere set apart from our mother0s "om , the est of things "ill !ome our "ay even though "e $o not pray' It is prophesie$ efore his irth that %a!o shall e over Esau an$ that his rother shall serve him3 "hat has prayer to $o "ith that. Of "hat impiety is Esau guilty that he is hate$ efore his irth. To "hat purpose $oes 6oses pray, as is foun$ in the ninetieth psalm, if #o$ is his refuge sin!e efore the mountains "ere settle$ an$ the earth an$ "orl$ "ere forme$' 2esi$es, of all that are to e save$, it is re!or$e$ in the Epistle to Ephesians that the ,ather ele!te$ them in Him, in Christ, efore the "orl$0s foun$ation,

that they shoul$ e holy an$ lameless efore Him, preor$aining them unto a$option as His sons through Christ' Either, therefore, a man is ele!t, of the num er of those "ho are so sin!e efore the "orl$0s foun$ation, an$ !an y no means fall from his ele!tion in "hi!h !ase he has therefore no nee$ of prayer/ or he is not ele!t nor yet preor$aine$, in "hi!h !ase he prays in vain, sin!e, though he shoul$ pray ten thousan$ times, he "ill not e listene$ to' ,or "hom #o$ fore-ne", them He also preor$aine$ to !onformity "ith the image of His &on0s glory/ an$ "hom He preor$aine$, them He also !alle$/ an$ "hom He !alle$, them He also 7ustifie$/ an$ "hom He 7ustifie$, them He also glorifie$' )hy is %osiah $istresse$, or "hy has he an8iety as to "hether or not he "ill e listene$ to in prayer, "hen, many generations efore, he "as prophesie$ y name an$ his future a!tion not only fore-no"n ut foretol$ in the hearing of many' To "hat purpose, too, $oes %u$as pray "ith the result that even his prayer turne$ to sin, "hen from Davi$0s times it is pre@announ!e$ that he "ill lose his overseership, another re!eiving it in his stea$' It is self@evi$ently a sur$, #o$ eing un!hangea le an$ having pre@!omprehen$e$ all things an$ a$hering to His prearrangements, to pray in the elief that through prayer one "ill !hange His purpose, or, as though He ha$ not alrea$y prearrange$ ut a"aite$ ea!h in$ivi$ual0s prayer, to ma-e inter!ession that He may arrange "hat suits the suppli!ant y reason of his prayer, there an$ then appointing "hat He approves as reasona le though He has previously not !ontemplate$ it' At this point the propositions you formulate$ in your letter to me may e set $o"n "or$ for "or$ thus3 ,irstly, if #o$ is fore-no"er of the future an$ it must !ome to pass, prayer is vain' &e!on$ly, if all things !ome to pass y virtue of #o$0s "ill, an$ His $e!rees are fi8e$, an$ nothing that He "ills !an e !hange$, prayer is vain' To"ar$s a solution of the $iffi!ulties "hi!h enum the instin!t of prayer, the follo"ing, as I elieve, helpful !onsi$erations may e a$van!e$ CHAPTER IB AN&)ER TO O2%ECTION&3 ,ORE;NO)+ED#E 6AN0& ,REE)I++ AND #OD0&

Of o 7e!ts that move, some have the !ause of motion outsi$e them' &u!h are o 7e!ts "hi!h are lifeless an$ in passive motion simply y for!e of !on$ition, an$ those "hi!h are move$ y for!e of nature an$ of life in the same manner an$ not li-e things "hi!h move o!!asionally, for stones an$ sto!-s that have een (uarrie$ or !ut off from gro"th, eing in passive motion simply y for!e of !on$ition, have the !ause of motion outsi$e them' &u!h too are $ea$ o$ies of animals an$ mova le parts of plants, "hi!h !hange position un$er !ompulsion an$ not as animals an$ plants themselves !hange their position ut in the same manner as stones an$ sto!-s !ut off from gro"th * although even these may e sai$ to move in respe!t that, all o$ies in $e!ay eing in flu8, they possess the motion inherently atten$ant upon $e!ay' 2esi$es these a se!on$ !lass of moving o 7e!ts are

those "hi!h move y for!e of their internal nature or life, "hi!h are sai$ y those "ho use terms in their stri!ter sense to move of themselves' A thir$ -in$ of movement is that in animals, "hi!h is terme$ spontaneous movement, "hereas, in my opinion, the movement of rational eings is in$epen$ent movement' If "e "ith$ra" from an animal spontaneous movement, it !annot e any longer !on!eive$ as even an animal/ it "ill e li-e either a plant moving y mere for!e of nature or a stone orne along y some for!e e8ternal to it3 )henever an o 7e!t follo"s its o"n pe!uliar movement, sin!e that is "hat "e have terme$ in$epen$ent movement, it must nee$s e rational' Thin-ers therefore "ho "ill have it that nothing is in our po"er, "ill ne!essarily assent to a most foolish statement, firstly that "e are not animals, an$ se!on$ly that neither are "e rational eings, ut that, "hat "e are elieve$ to $o, "e may e sai$ to $o y for!e as it "ere of some e8ternal !ause of motion an$ in no sense moving ourselves' +et anyone, moreover, "ith spe!ial regar$ to his o"n feelings, see "hether "ithout shame he !an $eny that it is himself that "ills, eats, "al-s, gives assent to an$ a!!epts !ertain opinions, $issents from others as false' There are !ertain opinions to "hi!h a man !annot possi ly assent though he puts them "ith innumera le refinements of argument an$ "ith plausi le reasoning3 an$ similarly it is impossi le to assent to any vie" of human affairs in "hi!h our free "ill is in no sense preserve$' )ho assents to the vie" that nothing is !omprehensi le, or lives as in !omplete suspense of 7u$gement3 )ho that has re!eive$ a sense per!eption of a $omesti! mis$ee$, fore ears to reprove the servant. An$ "ho is there that $oes not !ensure a son "ho fails to pay the $uty o"e$ to parents, or $oes not lame an$ fin$ fault "ith an a$ulteress as having !ommitte$ a shameful a!t. Truth for!es an$ !ompels us, in spite of innumera le refinements, to impulsive praise an$ lame, on the asis of our retention of free "ill "ith the responsi ility in "hi!h it involves us' If our free "ill is in truth preserve$ "ith innumera le in!linations to"ar$s virtue or vi!e, to"ar$s either $uty or its opposite, its future must li-e other things have een -no"n y #o$, efore !oming to pass, from the "orl$0s !reation an$ foun$ation/ an$ in all things prearrange$ y #o$ in a!!or$an!e "ith "hat He has seen of ea!h a!t of our free "ills' He has "ith $ue regar$ to ea!h movement of our free "ills prearrange$ "hat also is at on!e to o!!ur in His provi$en!e an$ to ta-e pla!e a!!or$ing to the train of future events' #o$0s fore-no"le$ge is not the !ause of all future events in!lu$ing those that are to have their effi!ient !ause in our free"ill gui$e$ y impulse' Even though "e shoul$ suppose #o$ ignorant of the future, "e shall not on that a!!ount e in!apa!itate$ for effe!ting this an$ "illing that' Rather it ensues from His fore-no"le$ge that our in$ivi$ual free "ills re!eive a$7ustment to suit the universal arrangement nee$ful for the !onstitution of the "orl$' If, therefore, our in$ivi$ual free "ills have een -no"n y Him, an$ if in His provi$en!e He has on that a!!ount een !areful to ma-e $ue arrangement for ea!h one, it is reasona le to elieve that He has also pre@!omprehen$e$ "hat a parti!ular man is to pray in that faith, "hat his $isposition, an$ "hat his $esire'

That eing so, in His arrangement it "ill a!!or$ingly have een or$aine$ some"hat after this "ise3 This man I "ill hear for the sa-e of the prayer that he "ill pray, e!ause he "ill pray "isely3 ut that man I "ill not hear, either e!ause he "ill e un"orthy of eing hear$, or e!ause his prayer "ill e for things neither profita le for the suppliant to re!eive nor e!oming me to esto"3 an$ in the !ase of this prayer, of some parti!ular person, let us say, I "ill not hear him, ut in the !ase of that I "ill' &houl$ the fa!t of #o$0s unerring fore-no"le$ge of the future $is(uiet anyone y suggesting that things have een ne!essarily $etermine$, "e must tell him that it is a real part of #o$0s fi8e$ -no"le$ge that a parti!ular man "ill not "ith any fi8e$ !ertainty !hoose the etter or so $esire the "orse as to e!ome in!apa le of a !hange for his goo$' An$ again I "ill $o this for this man "hen he prays, as e!omes me seeing that he "ill pray "ithout reproa!h an$ "ill not e negligent in prayer3 upon that man "ho "ill pray for a !ertain amount, I "ill esto" this a un$antly in e8!ess of his as-ing or thin-ing, for it e!omes me to surpass him in "ell $oing an$ to furnish more than he has een !apa le of as-ing' To this other man of a parti!ular !hara!ter I "ill sen$ this angel as minister, to !ooperate from a !ertain time in his salvation an$ to e "ith him for a !ertain perio$3 to that other, "ho "ill e a etter man than he, that angel of higher ran- than his' ,rom this man "ho, after having $evote$ himself to the higher vie"s "ill gra$ually rela8 an$ fall a!- upon the more material, I "ill "ith$ra" this superior !ooperator, upon "hose "ith$ra"al that $uly inferior po"er, having foun$ an opportunity to get at his sla!-ness, "ill set upon him an$ "hen he has given himself up in rea$iness to sin, "ill in!ite him to these parti!ular sins' &o "e may imagine the Prearranger of All saying3 Amos "ill eget %osiah, "ho "ill not emulate his father0s faults ut "ill fin$ his "ay lea$ing on to virtue, an$ "ill y ai$ of these !ompanions e no le an$ goo$, so that he "ill tear $o"n the evilly ere!te$ altar of %ero oam' I also -no" that %u$as, in the so7ourn of my son among the ra!e of men, "ill at the first e no le an$ goo$ ut later turn asi$e an$ fall a"ay to human sins so that he "ill rightly suffer thus for them' This fore-no"le$ge, it may e in regar$ to all things, !ertainly in regar$ to %u$as an$ other mysteries, e8ists in the &on of #o$ also, "ho in His $is!ernment of the evolution of the future has seen %u$as an$ the sins to e !ommitte$ y him, so that, even efore %u$as !ame into e8isten!e, He in His !omprehension has sai$ through Davi$ the "or$s eginning 4O #o$, -eep you not silen!e at my praise5' * ;no"ing as I $o the future an$ "hat an influen!e Paul "ill have in the !ause of religion, ere yet I set me to egin !reation an$ foun$ the "orl$ I "ill ma-e !hoi!e of him3 I "ill !ommit him from the moment of his irth to these po"ers that !ooperate in men0s salvation' I "ill set him apart from his mother0s "om ' I "ill permit him at the first to fall in youth into an ignorant :eal an$ in the avo"e$ !ause of religion to perse!ute elievers in my Christ an$ to -eep the garments of them that stone my servant an$ "itness &tephen, so that later at the !lose of his youthful "ilfulness he may e given a fresh start an$ !hange for the est an$ yet not oast efore me ut may say3 4I am not fit to e !alle$ an apostle, e!ause I perse!ute$ the !hur!h of #o$5, an$ reali:ing the -in$ness that he "ill re!eive from me after his faults !ommitte$ in youth in the avo"e$ !ause of religion may $e!lare 4It is y #o$0s gra!e that I am "hat I am5/ an$, eing restraine$ y

!ons!ien!e y reason of the $ee$s he "rought "hile still young against Christ, he "ill not e e8!essively elate$ y the e8!ee$ing a un$an!e of the revelations "hi!h in -in$ness I shall sho" him' To the o 7e!tion in referen!e to prayer for the rising of the &un "e may reply as follo"s' The &un also possesses a !ertain free "ill, sin!e he "ith the moon 7oins in praising #o$, for 4Praise Him, &un an$ 6oon5 it says3 as also manifestly the moon an$ all the stars !onforma ly, for it says 4Praise Him all the stars an$ light5' As, therefore, "e have sai$ that #o$ has employe$ the free "ill of in$ivi$ual eings on earth for the servi!e of eings on earth in arranging them aright, so "e may suppose that He has employe$ the free "ill, fi8e$ an$ !ertain an$ stea$fast an$ "ise as it is, of sun, moon an$ stars in arranging the "hole "orl$ of heaven "ith the !ourse an$ movement of the stars in harmony "ith the "hole' If I $o not pray in vain for "hat !on!erns any other free"ill, mu!h more shall I pray for "hat !on!erns the free"ill of the stars "hi!h trea$ in heaven their "orl$@!onserving measures' It may in$ee$ e sai$ of eings on earth that !ertain appearan!es in our surroun$ings !all out no" our insta ility, no" our etter in!lination to a!t or spea- in !ertain "ays3 ut in the !ase of eings in heaven "hat appearan!es !an interpose to oust an$ remove from the !ourse that enefit the "orl$ eings "hi!h have ea!h a life so a$7uste$ y Reason in$epen$ently of them, an$ "hi!h en7oy so ethereal an$ supremely pure a frame. CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CHAPTER B AN&)ER TO O2%ECTION&3 CONDITION& NECE&&AR1 TO PRA1ER )ith a vie" to impel men to pray an$ to turn them from negle!t of prayer, "e may not unreasona ly further use an illustration su!h as this' %ust as, apart from "oman an$ apart from re!ourse to the fun!tion re(uisite for pro!reation, man !annot pro!reate, so one may not o tain !ertain things "ithout prayer in a !ertain manner, "ith a !ertain $isposition, "ith a !ertain faith, after a !ertain ante!e$ent mo$e of life' Thus "e are not to a le or as- for little things or pray for earthly things or enter upon prayer "ith anger an$ "ith thoughts $istur e$' Nor again is it possi le to thin- of giving oneself to prayer apart from purifi!ation' Nor again is forgiveness of sins possi le to the suppli!ant unless from the heart he forgives his rother "ho has $one "rong an$ entreats him to o tain his par$on' That enefit a!!rues to him "ho prays rightly or a!!or$ing to his a ility strives to $o so, follo"s, I !onsi$er, in many "ays3 It is, first of all, surely in every sense a spiritual a$vantage to him "ho is intent upon prayer, in the very !omposure of prayer to present himself to #o$ an$ in His presen!e to spea- to Him "ith a vivi$ sense that he loo-s on an$ is present' ,or 7ust as !ertain mental images an$ parti!ular re!olle!tions !onne!te$ "ith the o 7e!ts re!olle!te$ may sully the thoughts suggeste$ y !ertain other images, in the same "ay "e may elieve that it is a$vantageous to remem er #o$ as the o 7e!t of our faith * the One "ho $is!erns the movements "ithin the inner san!tuary of the soul as it $isposes itself to please the E8aminer of Hearts an$ In(uisitor of Reins as One "ho is

present an$ ehol$s an$ penetrates into every min$' Even though further enefit than this e suppose$ to a!!rue to him "ho has !ompose$ his thoughts for prayer, no or$inary gain is to e !on!eive$ as gotten y one "ho has $evoutly $ispose$ himself in the season of prayer' )hen this is regularly pra!ti!e$, ho" many sins it -eeps us from, an$ ho" many a!hievements it rings us to, is -no"n only to those "ho have given themselves up "ith some $egree of !onstan!y to prayer' ,or if the re!olle!tion an$ re!ontemplation of a man "ho has foun$ fame an$ enefit in "is$om in!ites us to evaluate him an$ sometimes restrains our lo"er impulses, ho" mu!h more $oes the re!olle!tion of #o$ the ,ather of All, along "ith prayer to Him, e!ome a$vantageous to those "ho are persua$e$ that they stan$ efore an$ spea- to a present an$ hearing #o$D )hat I have sai$ may e esta lishe$ from the $ivine s!riptures in the follo"ing "ay' He "ho prays must lift up holy han$s, forgiving everyone "ho has "ronge$ him, "ith the passion of anger anishe$ from his soul an$ in "rath "ith none' An$ again, to prevent his min$ from eing ma$e tur i$ y irrelevant thoughts, he must "hile at prayer forget for the time everything outsi$e prayer * surely a state of supreme lesse$nessD As Paul tea!hes in the first Epistle to Timothy "hen he says3 4I $esire therefore that men pray in every pla!e lifting up holy han$s "ithout anger an$ $isputations' An$ further, a "oman ought, most of all at prayer, to preserve simpli!ity an$ $e!en!y in soul an$ o$y, a ove all an$ espe!ially "hile she prays reveren!ing #o$ an$ e8pelling from her intelle!t every "anton "omanish re!olle!tion, arraye$ not in !haplets an$ gol$ or pearls or !ostly raiment, ut in the things in "hi!h it e!omes a "oman of pious profession to e arraye$, <an$ I marvel that anyone shoul$ hesitate, "ere it on the strength of su!h a !on$ition alone, to pronoun!e her lesse$ "ho has thus presente$ herself for prayer= as Paul has taught in the same Epistle "hen he says, 4in li-e manner that "omen array themselves $e!ently in simpli!ity "ith mo$esty an$ $is!retion, not in !haplets an$ gol$ or pearls or !ostly raiment, ut, as e!omes "oman of pious profession, through goo$ "or-s5' <ETim'F3G= An$ esi$es, the prophet Davi$ spea-s of mu!h else that the saint possesses in prayer' )e may, not irreverently, !ite these passages as sho"ing that, even if this alone e !onsi$ere$, the attitu$e an$ preparation for prayer of one "ho has offere$ himself to #o$ is of the highest enefit' He says3 4Unto you have I lifte$ mine eyes, "ho $"ellest in heaven an$ unto you have I lifte$ my soul, O #o$5' ,or "hen the eyes of thought are lifte$ up from $"elling on earthly things an$ eing fille$ "ith the imagination of material o 7e!ts, an$ are elevate$ to su!h a height as to loo- eyon$ egotten things an$ to e engage$ solely in !ontemplation of #o$ an$ in solemn !onverse "ith Him e!oming to the Hearer' &urely those eyes themselves have alrea$y got the highest a$vantage in refle!ting the glory of the +or$ "ith fa!e unveile$ an$ eing transforme$ into the same image from glory to glory, for they then parta-e of a !ertain $ivine per!eption sho"n y the "or$s3 4the light of your fa!e, O +or$, hath een signali:e$ upon us5' <Ps'H3I= An$ in$ee$ the soul eing lifte$ up, an$ parting from o$y to follo" spirit, an$ not only follo"ing the spirit ut also merging in it, as is sho"n y the "or$s 4Unto you have I lifte$ my soul5,

is surely alrea$y putting off its e8isten!e as soul an$ e!oming spiritual' An$ if forgiveness is a very high a!!omplishment, so high as a!!or$ing to the prophet %eremiah to em ra!e a summary of the "hole la", for he says, 4I lai$ not those !omman$s upon your fathers as they "ere gone forth from Egypt, ut this !omman$ I lai$3 +et ea!h man not e unforgiving to his neigh or in his heart5, an$ if in entering upon prayer "ith unforgiveness left ehin$ us "e -eep the &avior0s !omman$, 4If you0re stan$ing at prayer forgive aught that you have against any man5' <6-'EE3FJ= It is plain that those "ho stan$ in that temper to pray have alrea$y re!eive$ the est of possessions CHAPTER BI AN&)ER TO O2%ECTION&3 HE )HO PRA1& PRA1& NOT A+ONE &o far, I have sai$ that, even on the supposition that nothing else is going to follo" our prayer, "e re!eive the est of gains "hen "e have !ome to per!eive the right "ay to pray an$ "hen "e a!hieve it' 2ut it is !ertain that he "ho thus prays, having previously !ast asi$e all $is!ontent "ith Provi$en!e, "ill, if intent to mar- the in"or-ing of the Hearer, in the very a!t hear the response 4Here am I5' The a ove !on$ition is e8presse$ in the "or$s 4If you "ith$ra" your on$s an$ protests an$ murmuring utteran!e5, for he that is !ontent "ith "hat !omes to pass e!omes free from every on$, an$ $oes not protest against #o$ for or$aining "hat He "ills for our $is!ipline, an$ $oes not even in the se!re!y of his thoughts murmur inau$i ly/ for they "ho murmur thus, not $aring to a use Provi$en!e roun$ly for "hat o!!urs "ith voi!e an$ soul ut $esiring as it "ere to es!ape the o servation even of the +or$ of All in their $is!ontent, are li-e a$ $omesti!s "ho rail, ut not openly, against their masters0 or$ers' An$ I thin- the same thing is meant in the passage in %o 3 4In all these o!urren!es %o sinne$ not "ith his lips in the sight of #o$5/ an$ it is 7ust this that the saying in Deuteronomy en7oins must not happen, "hen it says3 4Ta-e hee$ lest a se!ret utteran!e e ever in your heart to rea- the la", saying the seventh year $ra"s nigh5 an$ so on' &o then he "ho prays thus, e!omes, as alrea$y so greatly enefite$, more fit to mingle "ith the &pirit of the +or$ that fills the "hole "orl$ an$ fills all the earth an$ the heaven an$ says y the prophet3 49Do not I fill the heaven an$ the earth.0 says the +or$5' An$ further, through the afore mentione$ purifi!ation as "ell as through prayer, he "ill en7oy the goo$ offi!e of the )or$ of #o$, "ho is stan$ing in the mi$st even of those "ho $o not -no" Him an$ "ho fails the prayer of none, to pray to the ,ather along "ith Him for "hom He me$iates' ,or the &on of #o$ is high priest of our offerings an$ our plea$er "ith the ,ather' He prays for those "ho pray, an$ plea$s along "ith those "ho plea$' He "ill not, ho"ever, !onsent to pray, as for his intimates, on ehalf of those "ho $o not "ith some !onstan!y pray through Him, nor "ill he e Plea$er "ith the ,ather, as for men alrea$y His o"n, on ehalf of those "ho $o not o ey His tea!hing to the effe!t that they ought at all times to pray an$ not lose heart'

,or it says, 4He spo-e a para le to the en$ that they ought at all times to pray an$ not lose heart' 9There "as a !ertain 7u$ge in a !ertain !ity,05 an$ so on/ an$ earlier he sai$ unto them, 4)ho of you shall have a frien$, an$ shall go unto him at mi$night an$ shall say to him3 ,rien$, len$ me three loaves sin!e a frien$ of mine has !ome to me after a 7ourney an$ I have naught to set efore him5/ an$ a little later, 4I tell you, even though he "ill not rise an$ give him e!ause he is his frien$, he "ill yet e!ause of his eing una ashe$ get up an$ give him as many as he "ants5' An$ "ho that elieves the guileless lips of %esus !an ut e stirre$ to unhesitating prayer "hen He says, 4As- an$ it shall e given you for everyone that as-s re!eives5, sin!e the -in$ ,ather gives to those "ho have re!eive$ the spirit of a$option from the ,ather, the living rea$ "hen "e as- Him, not the stone "hi!h the a$versary "oul$ have e!ome foo$ for %esus an$ His $is!iples, an$ sin!e The ,ather gives the goo$ gift in rain from heaven to those that as- him' 2ut these pray along "ith those "ho genuinely pray * not only the high priest ut also the angels "ho 4re7oi!e in heaven over one repenting sinner more than over ninety@nine righteous that nee$ not repentan!e5, an$ also the souls of the saints alrea$y at rest' T"o instan!es ma-e this plain' The first is "here Raphael offers their servi!e to #o$ for To it an$ &arah' After oth ha$ praye$, the s!ripture says, 4The prayer of oth "as hear$ efore the presen!e of the great Raphael an$ he "as sent to heal them oth5, an$ Raphael himself, "hen e8plaining his angeli! !ommission at #o$0s !omman$ to help them, says3 4Even no" "hen you praye$, an$ &arah your $aughter@in@la", I rought the memorial of your prayer efore the Holy One5, an$ shortly after, 4I am Raphael, one of the &even angels "ho present the prayers of saints an$ enter in efore the glory of the Holy One' Thus, a!!or$ing to Raphael0s a!!ount at least, prayer "ith fasting an$ almsgiving an$ righteousness is a goo$ thing' The se!on$ instan!e is in the 2oo-s of the 6a!!a ees "here %eremiah appears in e8!ee$ing 4"hite haire$ glory5 so that a "on$rous an$ most ma7esti! authority "as a out him, an$ stret!hes forth his right han$ an$ $elivers to %u$as a gol$en s"or$, an$ there "itnesses to him another saint alrea$y at rest saying, 4This is he "ho prays mu!h for the people an$ the sa!re$ !ity, #o$0s prophet %eremiah5' ,or it is a sur$ "hen -no"le$ge, though manifeste$ to the "orthy through a mirror an$ in a ri$$le for the present, is then reveale$ fa!e to fa!e not to thin- that the li-e is true of all other e8!ellen!es as "ell, that they "ho prepare in this life eforehan$ are ma$e stri!tly perfe!t then' No" one of these e8!ellen!es in the stri!test sense a!!or$ing to the $ivine "or$ is love for one0s neigh or, an$ this a!!or$ingly "e are !ompelle$ to thin- of as possesse$ in a far higher $egree y saints alrea$y at rest than y those "ho are in human "ea-ness an$ "restle on along "ith the "ea-er' It is not only here that 4if one mem er suffers, all the mem ers suffer "ith it an$ if one mem er is glorifie$, all the mem ers re7oi!e "ith it5 in the e8perien!e of those "ho love their rethren, for it eseems the love also of those "ho are eyon$ the present life to say 4I have an8iety for all the !hur!hes3

)ho is "ea- an$ I am not "ea-. )ho is ma$e to stum le an$ I $o not urn.5 Espe!ially "hen Christ avo"s that a!!or$ing as su!h one of the saints may e "ea-, He is "ea- in li-e manner, an$ in prison an$ na-e$ an$ a stranger an$ hungry an$ athirst' ,or "ho that rea$s the gospel is ignorant that Christ, in ta-ing on himself "hatever efalls elievers, !ounts their sufferings His o"n. An$ if angels of #o$ !ame to %esus an$ ministere$ to Him, an$ if "e are not to thin- of the ministry of the angels to %esus as having een limite$ to the rief spa!e of His o$ily so7ourn among men "hile He "as still in the mi$st of elievers not as one that re!line$ at ta le ut as one that ministere$, ho" many angels, I "on$er, must no" e ministering to %esus "hen He "oul$ 4 ring together the Chil$ren of Israel one y one5 an$ gather them from the $ispersion, saving those "ho fear #o$ an$ !all upon Him, an$ must e !ooperating more than the apostles in the in!rease an$ enlargement of the !hur!hD Thus in %ohn !ertain angels are spo-en of in the Apo!alypse as a!tually presi$ing over the !hur!hes' Not in vain $o angels of #o$ as!en$ an$ $es!en$ unto the &on of 6an, ehel$ of eyes that have een enlightene$ "ith the light of -no"le$ge' In the very season of prayer, a!!or$ingly, eing remin$e$ y the suppliant of his nee$s, they satisfy them as they have a ility y virtue of their general !ommission' To further the a!!eptan!e of our vie" "e may ma-e use of some su!h image as the follo"ing in support of this argument' &uppose that a righteously min$e$ physi!ian is at the si$e of a si!- man praying for health, "ith -no"le$ge of the right mo$e of treatment for the $isease a out "hi!h the man is offering prayer' It is manifest that he "ill e move$ to heal the suppliant, surmising, it may "ell e not i$ly, that #o$ has ha$ this very a!tion in min$ in ans"er to the prayer of the suppliant for release from the $isease' Or suppose that a man of !onsi$era le means, "ho is generous, hears the prayer of a poor man offering inter!ession to #o$ for his "ants' It is plain that he, too, "ill fulfil the o 7e!ts of the poor man0s prayer, e!oming a minister of the fatherly !ounsel of Him "ho at the season of the prayer ha$ rought together him "ho "as to pray an$ him "ho "as a le to supply an$ y virtue of the rightness of his prin!iples, in!apa le of overloo-ing one "ho has ma$e that parti!ular re(uest' As therefore "e are not to elieve that these events are fortuitous, "hen they ta-e pla!e e!ause He "ho has num ere$ all the hairs of the hea$ of saints, has aptly rought together at the season of the prayer the hearer "ho is to e minister of His enefa!tion to the suppliant an$ the man "ho has ma$e his re(uest in faith/ so "e may surmise that the presen!e of the angels "ho e8er!ise oversight an$ ministry for #o$ is sometimes rought into !on7un!tion "ith a parti!ular suppliant in or$er that they may 7oin in reathing his petitions' Nay more, ehol$ing ever the fa!e of the ,ather in heaven an$ loo-ing on the #o$hea$ of our Creator, the angel of ea!h man, even of 4little ones5 "ithin the !hur!h, oth prays "ith us, an$ a!ts "ith us "here possi le, for the o 7e!ts of our prayer CHAPTER BII

AN&)ER TO O2%ECTION&3 THE TRUE P+ACE O, PRA1ER IN 6AN0s +I,E Again I elieve the "or$s of the prayer of the saints to e full of po"er a ove all "hen praying 4"ith the spirit5, they pray 4also "ith the un$erstan$ing5, "hi!h is li-e a light rising from the suppliant0s min$ an$ pro!ee$ing from his lips to gra$ually "ea-en y the po"er of #o$ the mental venom in7e!te$ y the a$verse po"ers into the intelle!t of su!h as negle!t prayer an$ fail to -eep that saying of Paul0s in a!!or$an!e "ith the e8hortations of %esus, 4Pray "ithout !easing5' ,or it is as if a $art from the suppliant0s soul, spe$ y -no"le$ge an$ reason or y faith, pro!ee$s from the saint an$ "oun$s to their $estru!tion an$ $issolution the spirits a$verse to #o$ an$ $esirous of !asting roun$ us the on$s of sin' No", sin!e the performan!e of a!tions en7oine$ y virtue or y the !omman$ments is also a !onstituent part of prayer, he prays "ithout !easing "ho !om ines prayer "ith right a!tions, an$ e!oming a!tions "ith prayer' ,or the saying 4pray "ithout !easing5 !an only e a!!epte$ y us as a possi ility if "e may spea- of the "hole life of a saint as one great !ontinuous prayer' Of su!h prayer "hat is usually terme$ prayer is in$ee$ a part, an$ ought to e performe$ at least three times ea!h $ay, as is plain from the a!!ount of Daniel "ho, in spite of the grave $anger that impen$e$, praye$ three times $aily' Peter furnishes an instan!e of the mi$$le prayer of the three "hen he goes up to the housetop a out the si8th hour to pray on that o!!asion on "hi!h he also sa" the vessel "hi!h $es!en$e$ from heaven let $o"n y four !orners' The first is spo-en of y Davi$3 4In the morning shall you hear my prayer3 in the morning "ill I present myself to you an$ -eep "at!h5' The last is in$i!ate$ in the "or$s3 4the lifting up of my han$s in evening sa!rifi!e5' In$ee$ "e shall not rightly spea- even the season of night "ithout su!h prayer as Davi$ refers to "hen he says 4at mi$night I arose to ma-e a!-no"le$gment to you for your righteous 7u$gments5 an$ as Paul e8emplifies "hen, as it is sai$ in the A!ts of the Apostles, along "ith &ilas he offers prayer an$ praise to #o$ 4a out mi$night5 in Phillipi so that the prisoners also hear$ them CHAPTER BIII AN&)ER TO O2%ECTION&3 &I#NA+ IN&TANCE& O, PRA1ER If %esus prays an$ $oes not pray in vain, if He o tains His re(uests through prayer an$ it may e "oul$ not have re!eive$ them "ithout prayer, "ho of us is to negle!t prayer. 6ar- tells us that 4in the morning long efore $ay rea- he arose an$ "ent out an$ $eparte$ to a lonely pla!e an$ there praye$5' +u-e says3 4An$ it !ame to pass, as He "as at prayer in a !ertain pla!e, that one of His $is!iples sai$ to Him "hen He !ease$,''' an$ else"here3 An$ He passe$ the night in prayer to #o$5' %ohn re!or$s a prayer of Him in the "or$s3 4These things spo-e %esus, an$ lifting up His eyes unto heaven He sai$, 9,ather the hour is !ome/ glorify your &on that your &on may also glorify you'05 An$ the +or$0s saying,

4I -ne" that you hear me al"ays5, re!or$e$ in the same "riter sho"s that it is e!ause He is al"ays praying that He is al"ays hear$' )hat nee$ is there to tell the tale of those "ho, through right prayer, have o taine$ the greatest of things from #o$, "hen it is open to everyone to sele!t any num er of them for himself from the &!riptures. Hannah $i$ servi!e to the irth of &amuel, "ho is num ere$ along "ith 6oses, e!ause though arren she praye$ in faith unto the +or$' He:e-iah, "ho "hile still !hil$less learne$ from Isaiah that he "as a out to $ie, is in!lu$e$ in the &avior0s genealogy e!ause he praye$' )hen the people "ere alrea$y on the point of perishing un$er a single $e!ree as the result of Haman0s !onspira!y, it "as the hear$ prayer "ith fasting of 6or$e!ai an$ Esther that a$$e$ to the 6osai! festivals an$ gave rise to the 6or$e!ai! $ay of re7oi!ing for the people' It "as, moreover, after offering holy prayer that %u$ith "ith #o$0s help over!ame Holophernes, an$ thus a single "oman of the He re"s "rought shame upon the house of Ne u!ha$ne::ar' It "as on eing hear$ that Ananiah an$ A:ariah an$ 6ishael e!ame "orthy to re!eive a hissing rain an$ "in$ "hi!h -ept the flame of the fire from ta-ing effe!t' Through Daniel0s prayers the lions in the 2a ylonians0 pit "ere mu::le$' Even %onah, e!ause he $i$ not $espair of eing hear$ from the elly of the monster that ha$ s"allo"e$ him, "as a le to (uit the monster0s elly an$ !omplete his interrupte$ prophet0s mission to the Ninevites' An$ further, ho" many things !oul$ ea!h of us re!ount shoul$ he !hoose to re!all "ith gratitu$e the enefits !onferre$ upon him an$ to offer praise to #o$ for themD &ouls that have long een arren ut have e!ome !ons!ious of their intelle!ts0 sterility an$ the arrenness of their min$, through persevering prayer have !on!eive$ of the Holy &pirit an$ given irth to thoughts an$ "or$s of salvation full of !ontemplate$ truth' Ho" many of our foes have een $isperse$, "hen often !ountless thousan$s in the a$verse host "ere "earing us $o"n "ith intent to s"eep us a"ay from the $ivine faith, an$ "e re7oi!e$, "hen their appeal "as to !hariots an$ horses ut ours to the name of the +or$, to see that in truth $e!eptive is a horse for safetyD 6any a time in$ee$ $oes he "hose trust is in praise to #o$ * for %u$ith means praise * !ut his "ay through guileful an$ persuasive spee!h, that !hief !omman$er of the a$versary "ho rings num ers even of repute$ elievers to their -nees' )hat nee$ is there to go on to tell of all "ho many a time have fallen among temptations har$ to over!ome, "hose urn "as sharper than any flame, an$ have suffere$ naught un$er them ut emerge$ from them in every "ay uns!athe$, "ithout so mu!h of s!athe as the slightest o$or of the hostile fire/ or again of all the rutes e8asperate$ against us, in the form of "i!-e$ spirits or !ruel men, that "e have en!ountere$ an$ often mu::le$ y our prayers, so that they "ere impotent to fasten their fangs in our mem ers "hi!h ha$ e!ome those of Christ' Often in ea!h saint0s e8perien!e has the +or$ $ashe$ together the teeth of lions, an$ they "ere rought to nothing, as "ater flo"ing y' )e -no" that often fugitives from #o$0s !omman$s "ho have een s"allo"e$ y $eath, "hi!h at the first prevaile$ against them, have een save$ y reason of

repentan!e from so great an evil, e!ause they $i$ not $espair of eing a le to e save$ though alrea$y overpo"ere$ in the elly of $eath3 for $eath prevaile$ an$ s"allo"e$, an$ again #o$ too- a"ay every tear from every fa!e' )hat I have sai$ after my enumeration of persons "ho have een enefite$ through prayer, I !onsi$er to have een most ne!essary to my purpose of turning aspirants after the spiritual life in Christ from prayer for little earthly things, an$ urging rea$ers of this "riting to"ar$s the mysti!al things of "hi!h the a ove mentione$ "ere types' ,or it is al"ays an$ "holly prayer for the spiritual, mysti!al things "hi!h "e have instan!e$, that is pra!tise$ y him "ho $oes not "ar a!!or$ing to the flesh ut "ith the &pirit mortifies the o$y0s a!tions, preferen!e eing given to the things suggeste$ y analogy an$ stu$y over the enefa!tion apparently in$i!ate$ y the language of s!ripture as having a!!rue$ to those "ho ha$ praye$' ,or in ourselves also "e are to strive, hearing the spiritual la" "ith spiritual ears, that arrenness or sterility may not arise, ut that "e may li-e Hannah an$ He:e-iah e hear$, eing free$ from arrenness or sterility, an$ li-e 6or$e!ai an$ Esther an$ %u$ith e $elivere$ from plotting enemies * in our !ase the spiritual po"ers of evil' Inasmu!h as Egypt is an iron furna!e an$ also a sym ol of every earthly pla!e, let every one "ho has es!ape$ from the "i!-e$ness of the life of men "ithout having een s!or!he$ y sin or having ha$ his heart li-e an oven full of fire, give than-s no less than the men "ho e8perien!e$ rain ami$ fire' +et him, too, "ho has een hear$ "hen he has praye$ an$ sai$ 4Deliver not to the rutes a soul that ma-es a!-no"le$gment to you5, an$ "ho has suffere$ naught from asp an$ asilis- e!ause through Christ he has tro$ on them, an$ "ho has trample$ lion an$ sna-e an$ en7oye$ the goo$ authority esto"e$ y %esus to "al- over serpents an$ s!orpions an$ upon the "hole po"er of the enemy, "ithout having een in7ure$ y any of them, give than-s more than Daniel as having een $elivere$ from rutes more terri le an$ harmful' +et him, moreover, "ho has learne$ y e8perien!e "hat manner of monster that "hi!h s"allo"e$ %onah typifie$, per!eiving that it is of su!h that %o has spo-en, 46ay He !urse it that !urses that $ay, He that is to "orst the great monster5, if he shoul$ ever !ome y reason of any $iso e$ien!e to e in the elly of the monster, pray in peniten!e, an$ he shall !ome out then!e/ an$ if, after !oming out, he a i$es in o e$ien!e to the !omman$s of #o$, he shall e a le a!!or$ing to the -in$ness of the &pirit to e a prophet to perishing Ninevites of to$ay an$ to e!ome a means to their salvation, "ithout $is!ontent "ith the -in$ness of #o$ or $esire that He shoul$ a i$e in severity to"ar$s penitents' The very highest thing that &amuel is sai$ to have $one through prayer is spiritually possi le of a!hievement to$ay y every genuine $epen$ant upon #o$ "ho has e!ome "orthy to e hear$' It is "ritten3 4An$ no" $o ut stan$ an$ see this great thing "hi!h the +or$ $oes un$er you eyes' Is it not "heat harvest to$ay. I "ill !all upon the +or$ an$ He "ill give thun$ers an$ rain5' An$ then shortly after it says 4an$ &amuel !alle$ upon the +or$, an$ the +or$ gave thun$ers an$ rain in that $ay5' To every saint "ho is genuinely in $is!ipleship to %esus it is sai$ y the +or$, 4+ift up your eyes an$ ehol$

ho" the fiel$s are "hite alrea$y unto harvest' He that harvests re!eives "ages an$ gathers fruit unto life eternal5' In this time of harvest the +or$ $oes a great thing un$er the eyes of those "ho hear the prophets/ for "hen he that is a$orne$ y the &pirit !alls upon the +or$, #o$ gives from heaven thun$ers an$ rain that "aters the &oul, in or$er that he "ho "as efore in vi!e may $eeply fear the +or$ an$ the minister of #o$0s enefa!tion "hose !laim to reveren!e an$ veneration has een atteste$ through the hearing of his prayers' Eli7ah in$ee$ y a $ivine "or$ opene$ the heavens after they ha$ een shut to the impious three years an$ si8 months, a thing "hi!h anyone may a!!omplish at any time "hen through prayer he re!eives the &oul0s rain, if he e one "ho has hitherto een $eprive$ of it e!ause of sin CHAPTER IK THE CONTENT O, PRA1ER3 IT& ,OUR 6OOD& After thus interpreting the enefa!tions "hi!h have a!!rue$ to saints through their prayers, let us turn our attention to the "or$s 4as- for the great things an$ the little shall e a$$e$ unto you3 an$ as- for the heavenly things an$ the earthly shall e a$$e$ unto you5' All sym oli!al an$ typi!al things may e $es!ri e$ as little an$ earthly in !omparison "ith the true an$ the spiritual' An$, I elieve, the $ivine )or$, in urging us on to imitate the prayers of the saints, spea-s of the heavenly an$ great things set forth through those !on!erne$ "ith the earthly an$ little, in or$er that "e may ma-e our re(uests a!!or$ing to the reality of "hi!h their a!hievements "ere typi!al' He says in effe!t3 Do you "ho "oul$ e spiritual as- for the heavenly an$ great, in or$er that o taining in them heavenly things you may inherit a -ing$om of heaven, an$ as o taining great things you may en7oy the greatest lessings, "hile as for the earthly an$ little that you re(uire y reason of your o$ily ne!essities, your ,ather "ill supply them to you in $ue measure' In the first Epistle to Timothy the Apostle has employe$ four terms !orrespon$ing to four things in !lose relation to the su 7e!t of $evotion an$ prayer' It "ill therefore e of servi!e to !ite his language an$ see "hether "e !an satisfa!torily $etermine the stri!t meaning of ea!h of the four' He says, 4I e8hort therefore first of all that re(uests, prayers, inter!essions, than-sgivings e ma$e on ehalf of all men5, an$ so on' Re(uest I ta-e to e that form of prayer "hi!h a man in some nee$ offers "ith suppli!ation for its attainment/ prayer, that "hi!h a man offers in the loftier sense for higher things "ith as!ription of glory/ inter!ession, the a$$ressing of !laim to #o$ y a man "ho possesses a !ertain fuller !onfi$en!e/ than-sgiving, the prayerful a!-no"le$gment of the attainment of lessings from #o$, he "ho returns the a!-no"le$gment eing impresse$ y the greatness, or "hat seems to the re!ipient the greatness, of the enefa!tions !onferre$' Of the first, e8amples are foun$ in #a riel0s spee!h to Aa!hariah "ho, it is li-ely, ha$ praye$ for the irth of %ohn3 4,ear not, Aa!hariah, e!ause your re(uest hath een hear$ an$ your "ife Eli:a eth shall eget you a &on an$ you shall !all his name %ohn5/ in the a!!ount in E8o$us of the ma-ing of

the Calf3 4An$ 6oses ma$e re(uest efore the +or$ #o$, an$ sai$3 To "hat purpose, +or$, art you in anger "roth "ith your people "hom you hast rought out of the lan$ of Egypt in great might.5 In Deuteronomy3 4An$ I ma$e re(uest efore the +or$ a se!on$ time even as also the former time forty $ays an$ forty nights rea$ I ate not an$ "ater I $ran- not for all your sins that you sinne$5/ an$ in Esther3 46or$e!ai ma$e re(uest of #o$, re!alling all the "or-s of the +or$, an$ sai$/ +or$, +or$, ;ing Almighty5, an$ Esther herself 4ma$e re(uest of the +or$ #o$ of Israel an$ sai$3 +or$ our ;ing''' 4 Of the se!on$, e8amples are foun$ in Daniel3 4An$ A:ariah $re" himself up an$ praye$ thus, an$ opening his mouth ami$ the fire sai$''' 4/ an$ in To it3 4An$ "ith anguish I praye$ saying, 9Righteous art you, O +or$, an$ all your "or-s/ all your "ays are mer!y an$ truth, an$ 7u$gment true an$ righteous $ost you 7u$ge forever'05 &in!e ho"ever, the !ir!um!ise$ have mar-e$ the passage in Daniel spurious as not stan$ing in the He re", an$ $ispute the 2oo- of To it as not "ithin the Testament, I shall !ite Hannah0s !ase from the first oo- of ;ings' 4An$ she praye$ unto the +or$, an$ "ept e8!ee$ingly, an$ vo"e$ a vo", an$ sai$, 9O +or$ of Hosts, if you "ill in$ee$ have regar$ unto the humiliation of your on$mai$,05 an$ so on/ an$ in Ha a--u-3 4A prayer of Ha a--u- the prophet, set to song' O +or$, I have hear-ene$ to your voi!e an$ "as afrai$/ I $i$ mar- your "or-s an$ "as in e!stasy' In the mi$st of t"o living eings you shall e -no"n/ as the years $ra" nigh you shall e fully -no"n5/ a prayer "hi!h eminently illustrates "hat I sai$ in $efining prayer that it is offere$ "ith as!ription of glory y the suppliant' An$ in %onah also, %onah praye$ unto the +or$ his #o$ from the elly of the monster, an$ sai$, 4I !rie$ in my affli!tion unto the +or$ my #o$, an$ he hear$ me' 1ou hear$ my "ail from the elly of $eath, my !ry/ you flung me a"ay into the $epths of the heart of the sea, an$ streams en!ir!le$ me5' Of the thir$, "e have an e8ample in the Apostle "here he "ith goo$ reason employs prayer in our !ase, ut inter!ession in that of the &pirit as e8!elling us an$ having !onfi$en!e in approa!hing Him "ith "hom He inter!e$es/ for as to "hat "e are to pray, he says, 4as "e ought "e -no" not, ut the &pirit Himself more than inter!e$es "ith #o$ in sighs unspea-a le, an$ He that sear!hes hearts -no"s "hat is the min$ of the &pirit e!ause His inter!ession on ehalf of saints is a!!or$ing to #o$5/ for the &pirit more than inter!e$es, an$ inter!e$es, "hereas "e pray' )hat %oshua sai$ !on!erning the sun0s ma-ing a stan$ over against #a aoth is, I thin-, also inter!ession3 Then spa-e %oshua to the +ORD in the $ay "hen the +ORD $elivere$ up the Amorites efore the !hil$ren of Israel, 4Here spo-e %oshua to the +or$ in the $ay "hen #o$ $elivere$ up the Amorites efore the !hil$ren of Israel, an$ he sai$ in the sight of Israel, &un, stan$ thou still upon #i eon/ an$ thou, 6oon, in the valley of A7alon5/ an$ in %u$ges, it is, I thin-, in inter!ession that &amson sai$, 4+et my soul $ie together "ith the aliens5 "hen he leane$ in might an$ the house fell upon the prin!es an$ upon all the people in it' Even though it is not e8pli!itly sai$ that %oshua an$ &amson inter!e$e$ ut that they sai$, their language seems to e inter!ession, "hi!h, if "e a!!ept the terms in their stri!t sense, is in our opinion $istin!t from prayer'

Of than-sgiving an e8ample is our +or$0s utteran!e "hen He says3 4I ma-e a!-no"le$gment to you, O ,ather, +or$ of heaven an$ earth, that you $i$ hi$e these things from the "ise an$ un$erstan$ing an$ reveal them to infants5/ for I ma-e a!-no"le$gment is e(uivalent to I give than-s CHAPTER K THE RECIPIENT O, PRA1ER IN IT& ,OUR 6OOD& No" re(uest an$ inter!ession an$ than-sgiving, it is not out of pla!e to offer even to men * the t"o latter, inter!ession an$ than-sgiving, not only to saintly men ut also to others' 2ut re(uest to saints alone, shoul$ some Paul or Peter appear, to enefit us y ma-ing us "orthy to o tain the authority "hi!h has een given to them to forgive sins * "ith this a$$ition in$ee$ that, even shoul$ a man not e a saint an$ "e have "ronge$ him, "e are permitte$ our e!oming !ons!ious of our sin against him to ma-e re(uest even of su!h, that he e8ten$ par$on to us "ho have "ronge$ him' 1et if "e are offer than-sgiving to men "ho are saints, ho" mu!h more shoul$ "e give than-s to Christ, "ho has un$er the ,ather0s "ill !onferre$ so many enefa!tions upon us. 1es an$ inter!e$e "ith Him as $i$ &tephen "hen he sai$, 4+or$, set not this sin against them5' In imitation of the father of the lunati! "e shall say, 4I re(uest, +or$, have mer!y5 either on my son, or myself, or as the !ase may e' 2ut if "e a!!ept prayer in its full meaning, "e may not ever pray to any egotten eing, not even to Christ himself, ut only to the #o$ an$ ,ather of All to "hom our &avior oth praye$ himself, as "e have alrea$y instan!e$, an$ tea!hes us to pray' ,or "hen He has hear$ one say' 4Tea!h you us to pray5, He $oes not tea!h men to pray to Himself ut to the ,ather saying, 4Our ,ather in heaven5, an$ so on' ,or if, as is sho"n else"here, the &on is other than the ,ather in eing an$ essen!e, prayer is to e ma$e either to the &on an$ not the ,ather or to oth or to the ,ather alone' That prayer to the &on an$ not the ,ather is most out of pla!e an$ only to e suggeste$ in $efian!e of manifest truth, one an$ all "ill a$mit' In prayer to oth it is plain that "e shoul$ have to offer our !laims in plural form, an$ in our prayers say, 4#rant you oth, 2less you oth, &upply you oth, &ave you oth5, or the li-e, "hi!h is self@evi$ently "rong an$ also in!apa le of eing sho"n y anyone to stan$ in the s!riptures as spo-en y any' It remains, a!!or$ingly, to pray to #o$ alone, the ,ather of All, not ho"ever apart from the High Priest "ho has een appointe$ y the ,ather "ith s"earing of an oath, a!!or$ing to the "or$s He hath s"orn an$ shall not repent, 41ou art a priest forever after the or$er of 6el!hi:e$e-5' In than-sgiving to #o$, therefore, $uring their prayers, saints a!-no"le$ge His favors through Christ %esus' %ust as the man "ho is s!rupulous a out prayer ought not to pray to one "ho himself prays ut to the ,ather upon "hom our +or$ %esus has taught us to !all in our prayers, so "e are not to offer any prayer to the ,ather apart from Him' He !learly sets this forth himself "hen He says, 4Berily, verily, I tell you, "hatsoever you may as- of my ,ather

He shall give you in my house' Until ut no" you have not as-e$ aught in my name' As- an$ you shall re!eive, that your 7oy may e fulfille$5' He $i$ not say, 4As- of me5, nor yet simply 4As- of the father5, ut 4)hatsoever you may as- of the ,ather, He "ill give you in my name5' ,or until %esus taught this, no one ha$ as-e$ of the ,ather in the name of the &on' True "as the saying of %esus, 4Until ut no" you have not as-e$ aught in my name5/ an$ true also the "or$s, 4As- an$ you shall re!eive, that your 7oy may e fulfille$5' &houl$ anyone, ho"ever "ho elieves that prayer ought to e ma$e to Christ himself, !onfuse$ y the sense of the e8pression ma-e o eisan!e, !onfront us "ith that a!-no"le$ge$ referen!e to Christ in Deuteronomy, 4+et all #o$0s angels ma-e o eisan!e to Him5, "e may reply to him that the !hur!h, !alle$ %erusalem y the prophet, is also sai$ to have o eisan!e ma$e to her y -ings an$ (ueens "ho e!ome her foster sires an$ nurses, in the "or$s, 42ehol$, I lift up my han$ upon the nations, an$ upon the isles "ill I lift up my sign3 an$ they shall ring your sons in their osom an$ your $aughters they shall lift up on their shoul$ers/ an$ -ings shall e your foster sires, their (ueens they nurses3 to the fa!e of the earth shall they ma-e o eisan!e to you, an$ the $ust of your feet shall they li!-3 an$ you shall -no" that I am the +or$ an$ shall not e ashame$5' An$ ho" $oes it not a!!or$ "ith Him "ho sai$, 4)hy !allest you me goo$. None is goo$ save One * #o$ the ,ather5 to suppose that He "oul$ say, 4)hy pray you to me. To the ,ather alone ought you to pray, to "hom I also pray, as in$ee$ you learn from the holy &!riptures' ,or you ought not to pray to one "ho has een appointe$ high priest for you y the ,ather an$ has re!eive$ it from the ,ather to e a$vo!ate, ut through a high priest an$ a$vo!ate a le to sympathi:e "ith your "ea-nesses, having een trie$ in all points li-e you ut, y reason of the ,ather0s free gift to me, trie$ "ithout sin' +earn you therefore ho" great a free gift you have re!eive$ from my ,ather in having re!eive$ through regeneration in me the &pirit of a$option, that you may e !alle$ sons of #o$ an$ my rethren' ,or you have rea$ my utteran!e spo-en through Davi$ to the ,ather !on!erning you, 9I "ill pro!laim your name to my rethren/ in the mi$st of the !hur!h "ill I sing hymns to you'0 It is not reasona le that those "ho have een !ounte$ "orthy of one !ommon ,ather shoul$ pray to a rother'To the ,ather alone ought you, "ith me an$ through me, to sen$ up prayer5' &o then hearing %esus spea- to su!h effe!t, let us pray to #o$ through Him, all "ith one a!!or$ an$ "ithout $ivision !on!erning the manner of prayer' Are "e not in$ee$ $ivi$e$ if "e pray some to the ,ather, others to the &on * those "ho pray to the &on, "hether "ith the ,ather or "ithout the ,ather, !ommitting a !ru$e error in all simpli!ity for la!- of $is!rimination an$ e8amination. +et us therefore pray as to #o$, inter!e$e as "ith a ,ather, re(uest as of a +or$, give than-s as to #o$ an$ ,ather an$ +or$, though in no "ay as to a servant0s lor$/ for the ,ather may reasona ly e !onsi$ere$ +or$ not only of the &on ut also of those "ho through Him are e!ome sons also, though, 7ust as He is not #o$ of $ea$ ut of living men, so He is not +or$ of ase orn servants ut of su!h as at the first are enno le$ y means of fear e!ause they are as infants, ut serve thereafter a!!or$ing to love in a servi!e more lesse$ than that "hi!h is in fear' ,or "ithin the soul itself, visi le to the

&eer of Hearts alone, these are $istin!tive !hara!ters of servants an$ sons of #o$ CHAPTER KI THE O2%ECT& O, PRA1ER Everyone "ho as-s for the earthly an$ little things from #o$ $isregar$s Him "ho has en7oine$ the as-ing of heavenly an$ great things' #o$ is in!apa le of esto"ing anything either earthly or little' &houl$ anyone suggest instan!es to the !ontrary in "hi!h the material things esto"e$ upon the saints in the past as a result of prayer, an$ in$ee$ the e8press language of the #ospel "hen it tea!hes that the earthly an$ the little are to e a$$e$ unto us, "e may reply to him as follo"s' )hen someone esto"s upon us a parti!ular material o 7e!t, "e shoul$ not say that the person has esto"e$ upon us the sha$o" of the o 7e!t, for it is unintentional to present t"o things, o 7e!t an$ sha$o"' The giver0s intention is to give a material o 7e!t/ our re!eipt of its sha$o" is a !onse(uen!e of the gift' In li-e manner if, "ith min$ gro"n no ler, "e have $is!erne$ the gifts that are prin!ipally given to us y #o$, "e shall most properly $es!ri e as !onse(uen!es of the great an$ heavenly spiritual gifts of gra!e the material things "hi!h are given to ea!h of the saints for his goo$ or in proportion to his faith or a!!or$ing as the #iver "ills, an$ "isely $oes He "ill, even though "e are una le to $es!ri e a !ause an$ reason "orthy of the #iver for ea!h of His gifts' #reater fruit ha$ een orne y Hannah0s soul in eing turne$ from sterility than "as her o$y in !on!eiving &amuel' Diviner ha$ een the offspring egotten y He:e-iah0s min$ than that "hi!h "as egotten of the material see$ of his o$y' Higher ha$ een the $eliveran!es of Esther an$ 6ore!ai an$ the people from spiritual plots than "as that from Haman an$ his !onspirators' 6ightier "as the prin!e that sought to ruin her soul, "hose po"er %u$ith ha$ !ut through than he "hom she met in Holophermes' )ho "oul$ not a!-no"le$ge that in the spiritual lessing "hi!h !omes home to all the saints an$ "hi!h Isaa! spo-e of to %a!o , 4#o$ give you of the rain of heaven5, a higher rain ha$ fallen to Ananiah an$ those "ith him than the material rain that over!ame Ne u!ha$ne::ar0s flame. #reater ha$ een the mu::ling of the unseen lions y the prophet Daniel so that they "ere una le to "or- anything against his soul, than that of the visi le lions to "hi!h all of us "ho rea$ the passage have un$erstoo$ it to refer' An$ "ho as a saint, e!oming a fit re!ipient of the holy spirit, ha$ ever, li-e %onah, es!ape$ the elly of a monster that s"allo"e$ every fugitive from #o$ an$ "hi!h has een $efeate$ y %esus our &avior. It nee$ not !ause surprise if, to -eep the metaphor, the !orrespon$ing sha$o" is not given to all "ho re!eive o 7e!ts !apa le of ma-ing sha$o"s, "hile to some a sha$o" is "hat is given' &tu$ents of (uestions relating to sun$ials an$ of the relation of sha$o"s to the illuminating o$y !learly o serve "hat is the !ase "ith o$ies generally, that at a parti!ular time some pro7e!tors are sha$o"less, others are short sha$o"e$, others are more or less long@sha$o"e$' It is therefore not astonishing that, as the #iver0s plan is to esto" the prin!ipal things in a!!or$an!e "ith !ertain unuttera le an$ mysti! gui$ing prin!iples an$ suita le to the

re!ipients an$ o!!asions, "hen the prin!ipal o 7e!ts are eing given there shoul$ sometimes go "ith them no sha$o"s at all for the re!ipients' At other times sha$o"s are ut fe"/ at other times sha$o"s "hi!h are smaller in !omparison a!!ompany $ifferent o 7e!ts' As the presen!e or a sen!e of the sha$o" of o$ies neither pleases nor pains the man "hose o 7e!t of sear!h is solar eams, he possesses his !hief ne!essity in eing illumine$ or free$ from sha$o" or in having more or less of sha$o" as the !ase may e' If the spiritual things are ours, an$ "e are eing illumine$ y #o$ for !omplete possession of true lessings, "e shall not (ui le over a matter so paltry as !on!erns the sha$o"' ,or material an$ physi!al things !ount as fleeting fee le sha$o", in no "ay !ompara le to the saving holy gifts of the #o$ of All' )hat !omparison is there et"een material ri!hes an$ the ri!hes that are in every "or$ an$ all "is$om. )ho in his senses "oul$ !ompare health of flesh an$ one "ith health of min$, strength of soul, an$ !onsisten!y of thought * things "hi!h, if -ept in measure y #o$0s "or$, ma-e o$ily sufferings a paltry s!rat!h, an$ even slighter if "e !an grasp it' He that has $is!erne$ the meaning of the eauty of the ri$e "hom the ri$egroom )or$ of #o$ loves, a soul looming "ith more than heavenly an$ more than mun$ane eauty, "ill e ashame$ to $ignify "ith the same name of eauty the physi!al eauty of "oman or !hil$ or man' ,or of eauty in the stri!t sense flesh is not !apa le, eing $eformity throughout' ,or all flesh is as grass, an$ the glory thereof, "hi!h is manifest in the so !alle$ eauty of "omen an$ !hil$ren, is a!!or$ing to the prophet0s language !ompare$ to a flo"er, 4All people are grass, their !onstan!y is li-e the flo"er of the fiel$' The grass "ithers, the flo"er fa$es, "hen the reath of the +ORD lo"s upon it/ surely the people are grass' The grass "ithers, the flo"er fa$es/ ut the "or$ of our #o$ "ill stan$ forever5' Again, "ho that has per!eive$ the no ility of the sons of #o$ shall any longer give the name of no ility to "hat passes as su!h among men. After !ontemplating Christ0s -ingship over -ings, ho" shall the min$ not $ispel all -ingship upon earth. )hen the human min$, so far as !apa le "hile still oun$ to a o$y, has on!e ehel$ as !learly as may e an army of angels, an$ among them !hief@!omman$ers of the +or$0s hosts, an$ ar!hangels an$ thrones an$ lor$ships an$ prin!ipalities an$ more than heavenly authorities, an$ has !ome to un$erstan$ that it !an o tain from the ,ather their e(uivalent, ho" shall it not $espise those things "hi!h though frailer than sha$o" are the a$miration of the foolish, even if they shoul$ all e given to it, as most sha$o"y an$ in !omparison insignifi!ant, an$ loo- eyon$ in or$er not to fall short of o taining the true prin!ipalities an$ $iviner authorities. )e shoul$ therefore pray for the prin!ipal an$ truly great an$ heavenly things, an$ as for those !on!erne$ "ith the sha$o"s a!!ompanying the prin!ipal, !ommit them to the #o$ "ho -no"s efore "e as- Him "hat things, y reason if our perisha le o$y, "e have nee$ CHAPTER KII

THE +ORD0& PRA1ER3 THE PRE,ACE IN 6ATTHE) )hat I have sai$, a!!or$ing to my !apa!ity to re!eive the gra!e "hi!h has een given y #o$ through His Christ, an$ as I trust in the Holy &pirit also * "hether it e so you "ill 7u$ge "hen you rea$ it * may suffi!e y "ay of e8amination of the general su 7e!t of prayer' I shall no" pro!ee$ to the ne8t tas-, to !onsi$er ho" full of meaning is the prayer outline$ y the +or$' It is first of all to e o serve$ that to most people 6atthe" an$ +u-e might seem to have re!or$e$ the same prayer s-et!he$ as a pattern for right prayer' 6atthe"0s "or$s run thus3 Our ,ather in heaven, hallo"e$ e your name' 1our -ing$om !ome' 1our "ill e $one, on earth as it is in heaven' #ive us this $ay our $aily rea$' An$ forgive us our $e ts, as "e also have forgiven our $e tors' An$ $o not ring us to the time of trial, ut res!ue us from the evil one' 2ut +u-e0s run as follo"s3 ,ather, hallo"e$ e your name' 1our -ing$om !ome' #ive us ea!h $ay our $aily rea$' An$ forgive us our sins, for "e ourselves forgive everyone in$e te$ to us' An$ $o not ring us to the time of trial' To those "ho suppose it to e the same prayer "e may reply that the utteran!es, though they !ertainly resem le one another, also appear to $iffer, as I shall set forth in investigating them' In the se!on$ pla!e it is not possi le that the same prayer shoul$ e sai$ on the mountain "here 4)hen %esus sa" the !ro"$s, he "ent up the mountain/ an$ after he sat $o"n, his $is!iples !ame to him' Then he egan to spea-, an$ taught them, saying5 * for it is in the !ourse of the re!ital of the 2eatitu$es an$ the su se(uent in7un!tions that it is foun$ re!or$e$ in 6atthe"' It also have een sai$, 4He "as praying in a !ertain pla!e, an$ after he ha$ finishe$, one of his $is!iples sai$ to him, 4+or$, tea!h us to pray, as %ohn taught his $is!iples5' It is surely impossi le that the same "or$s shoul$ e $es!ri e$ as having een spo-en in the !ourse of !ontinuous utteran!e "ithout any (uestion to pre!e$e them an$ as eing announ!e$ in response to a $is!iple0s re(uest' One might, ho"ever, say the prayers are e(uivalent an$ "ere spo-en as one' On the one o!!asion in !ontinuous $is!ourse, on the other in response to the re(uest of a $ifferent $is!iple "ho in all li-elihoo$ "as not present "hen He spo-e the form in 6atthe" or ha$ not mastere$ "hat ha$ earlier een spo-en' 2ut perhaps it is etter that the prayers e regar$e$ as $ifferent, "ith !ertain portions in !ommon' In 6ar-, though I have sear!he$ there also in !ase the re!or$ of an e(uivalent shoul$ es!ape me, I have not foun$ so mu!h as a vestige of a prayer !ontaine$' I have alrea$y sai$ that efore praying one must first e !ompose$ an$ $ispose$ in a parti!ular manner' +et us therefore glan!e at the "or$s pre!e$ing the prayer !ontaine$ in 6atthe", "hi!h "ere uttere$ y our &avior' They are as follo"s3 An$ "henever you pray, $o not e li-e the hypo!rites/ for they love to stan$ an$ pray in the synagogues an$ at the street !orners, so that they may e seen y others'

Truly I tell you, they have re!eive$ their re"ar$' 2ut "henever you pray, go into your room an$ shut the $oor an$ pray to your ,ather "ho is in se!ret/ an$ your ,ather "ho sees in se!ret "ill re"ar$ you' )hen you are praying, $o not heap up empty phrases as the #entiles $o/ for they thin- that they "ill e hear$ e!ause of their many "or$s' Do not e li-e them, for your ,ather -no"s "hat you nee$ efore you as- him' Pray then in this "ay3 Our &avior often appears as inveighing against the love of glory as a $ea$ly passion, 7ust as He has $one in this pla!e "here He $issua$es us from the pra!ti!e of a!tors at the season of prayer, for it is a pra!ti!e of a!tors rather to plume themselves in piety efore men rather than to have !ommunion "ith #o$' Remem ering then the "or$s, 4Ho" !an you elieve "hen you a!!ept glory from one another an$ $o not see- the glory that !omes from the one "ho alone is #o$.5 "e ought to $espise all glory "ith men even though it e thought honora ly gaine$ an$ to seethe stri!t an$ true glory "hi!h is from Him alone "ho glorifies the $eserving in a manner e!oming to Himself an$ e8!ee$ing the $esert of the person glorifie$' The very a!t "hi!h "oul$ in itself e thought honora le an$ is thought praise"orthy is pollute$ "hen "e $o it to e glorifie$ y men or to appear to men, an$ on that a!!ount it is atten$e$ y no re!ompense from #o$' Unerring as the "hole of %esus0 language is, it e!omes even more so "hen it is spo-en "ith His a!!ustome$ oath' Of those "ho for human glory seem to $o goo$ to their neigh or, or pray in synagogues an$ at roa$"ay !orners, he says' 4Truly I tell you, they have re!eive$ their re"ar$5' ,or as the ri!h man a!!or$ing to +u-e ha$ goo$ things in his human life, eing no longer !apa le of o taining them after the present life e!ause he ha$ ha$ them, so he that has his re"ar$, as having so"n not 4unto the spirit5 ut 4unto the flesh5 shall 4reap !orruption5 ut shall not 4reap eternal life5 in his giving or in his prayers' It is so"ing unto the flesh "hen one $oes alms, "ith trumpeting efore him, in synagogues an$ thoroughfares to e glorifie$ y men, or li-es to pray stan$ing in synagogues an$ at roa$"ay !orners to appear to men an$ thought a pious an$ a holy person among the onloo-ers' In$ee$ every "ayfarer along the roa$ an$ spa!ious "ay lea$ing to $estru!tion "ithout rightness or straightness ut !roo-e$ an$ !ornere$ throughout, <for the straight line is ro-en in it to the utmost=, is stan$ing no less than he "ho prays at roa$"ay !orners, not in one ut through his love of pleasure in a num er of streets in "hi!h eings "ho as men are perishing e!ause they have fallen a"ay from their $ivinity, are to e foun$ glorifying an$ pronoun!ing lesse$ those "hom they have thought to a!t piously' There are al"ays many "ho are rather pleasure@loving than #o$@loving in their seeming prayer "ho $e au!h prayer ami$ an(ueting an$ !arousing, stan$ing in truth at the roa$"ay !orners an$ praying' ,or everyone "ho has ma$e pleasure his rule of life has in his passion for the spa!ious fallen out of the narro" straitene$ "ay of %esus Christ that is "ithout a single en$ an$ has no !orner at all' There is a !ertain $ifferen!e et"een Chur!h an$ &ynagogue' The !hur!h in the stri!t sense is "ithout 4a spot or "rin-le or anything of the -in$5, is holy an$ lameless' Into

it enters neither !hil$ of harlot, nor eunu!h or emasenlate, nor yet Egyptian or E$omite unless sons orn to them in the thir$ generation ena les them "ith $iffi!ulty to 7oin the !hur!h, nor 6oa ite an$ Ammonite, unless the tenth generation is !omplete an$ the aeon passe$' The &ynagogue on the other han$ may e uilt y a !enturion, as "as the !ase in times pre!e$ing the so7ourn of %esus "hen as yet "itness ha$ not yet een orne that the man possesse$ faith su!h as the &on of #o$ $i$ not fin$ even in Israel' No" he "ho li-es to pray in synagogues is not far from roa$"ay !orners' 2ut it is not so "ith the saint, for he loves, not li-es to pray, in !hur!hes, not roa$"ay !orners, in the straightness of the narro" straitene$ "ay, not to appear to men, ut to present himself efore the +or$ #o$, a male in the sense that he o serves the a!!epta le year of the +or$ an$ -eeps the !omman$ment "hi!h says, 4Thri!e in the year shall every male present himself efore the +or$ #o$5' )e are to atten$ to the "or$ 4appear5 !arefully, sin!e no appearan!e is a goo$ inasmu!h as it only seems to e8ist an$ not in truth, an$ mislea$s the senses an$ e8presses nothing e8a!tly an$ truly' As a!tors of plays in theatres are not "hat they profess nor are really "hat the mas- they "ear ma-es them loo- li-e, so too all "ho appear to assume the out"ar$ sensi le form of goo$ness an$ are not righteous ut a!tors of righteousness, a!ting moreover in a theatre of their o"n * namely synagogues an$ roa$"ay !orners' 2ut he that is no a!tor ut has !ast off all that is alien to him an$ sets himself to please in that theatre "hi!h is in!on!eiva ly greater than any "hi!h has een mentione$, enters into his o"n storeroom to the ri!hes therein treasure$ up, an$ shuts up after him his treasury of "is$om an$ -no"le$ge' Never turning his glan!e out"ar$s or $oting on things outsi$e, having shut up every $oor of the senses that he may not e $ra"n a"ay y sensations or have their sensi le presentation stealing into his min$, prays to the ,ather "ho $oes not shun or $esert a pla!e so se!ret ut $"ells in it, the Only 2egotten also eing present "ith Him' ,or He says 4I an$ the ,ather "ill !ome unto him an$ ma-e a o$e "ith him5' An$ plainly, if "e $o pray thus, "e shall e inter!e$ing not only "ith a #o$ ut also "ith a ,ather "ho is righteous, "ho $oes not $esert us as His !hil$ren ut is present in our se!ret pla!e an$ "at!hes it an$ in!reases the !ontents of the storeroom if "e shut up its $oor' )hen "e pray let us not a le ut use go$ly spee!h' )e a le "hen, "ithout s!rutiny of ourselves or of the $evotional "or$s "e are sen$ing up, "e spea- of the !orrupt in $ee$ or "or$ or thought, things "hi!h are mean an$ reprehensi le an$ alien to the in!orrupti leness of the +or$' He, then, that a les in prayer is in a synagogi! $isposition "orse than any yet $es!ri e$ an$ in a har$er "ay than those "ho are at roa$"ay !orners, preserving not as mu!h as a vestige even of a!ting in goo$ness' ,or a!!or$ing to the passage in the #ospel only heathen a le, eing (uite insensi le of great or heavenly petitions an$ therefore sen$ing up every prayer for the material an$ the e8ternal' To a a ling heathen, then, is he li-e "ho as-s for things elo" from the +or$ "ho $"ells in heaven an$ a ove the heights of the heavens' He "ho is "or$y also seems to e a a ler an$ he "ho a les to e "or$y' There is

no unity in matter an$ in o$ily su stan!es, ut every su!h suppose$ unity is split up an$ $ivi$e$ an$ $isintegrate$ into many units to the loss of its union' #oo$ is one/ many are the ase' Truth is one/ many are the false' True righteousness is one/ many are the states that a!t it as a part' #o$0s "is$om is one/ many are the "is$oms of this age an$ of the rulers of this age "hi!h !ome to nought' The "or$ of #o$ is one, ut many are the "or$s alien to #o$' Therefore no one shall es!ape &in as the result of "or$iness, an$ no one "ho thin-s to e hear$ as the result of "or$iness !an e hear$' ,or this reason "e ought not to ma-e our prayers li-e heathen a ling or "or$iness or other pra!ti!e after the li-eness of the serpent, for the #o$ of saints, eing a ,ather, -no"s of "hat things His !hil$ren have nee$, sin!e su!h things are "orthy of ,atherly -no"le$ge' He "ho -no"s not #o$ -no"s not the things of #o$ also * -no"s not the things of "hi!h he has nee$, for the things of "hi!h he thin-s he has nee$ are mista-en' 2ut he "ho has !ontemplate$ the etter an$ $iviner things of "hi!h he is in nee$ shall o tain the o 7e!ts of his !ontemplation "hi!h are -no"n y #o$ an$ "hi!h have een -no"n y the ,ather even efore as-ing' After these remar-s upon the prefa!e to the prayer in the #ospel a!!or$ing to 6atthe", let us no" pro!ee$ to !onsi$er "hat the prayer sets forth CHAPTER KIII THE +ORD0& PRA1ER * OUR ,ATHER IN HEABEN Our ,ather in Heaven' It $eserves a some"hat !areful o servation of the so@!alle$ Ol$ Testament to $is!over "hether it is possi le to fin$ any"here in it a prayer of one "ho a$$resses #o$ as ,ather' ,or though I have ma$e e8amination to the est of my a ility, I have up to the present faile$ to fin$ one' I $o not say that #o$ is not spo-en of as ,ather or that a!!ounte$ elievers in #o$ are not !alle$ sons of #o$, ut that I have not yet foun$ in prayer that !onfi$en!e in !alling #o$ ,ather "hi!h the &avior has pro!laime$' That #o$ is spo-en of as ,ather an$ those "ho have "aite$ on #o$0s "or$ as sons, may e seen in many pla!es, as in Deuteronomy, 41ou have forsa-en #o$ your parent an$ forgotten #o$ your nourisher5, an$ again, 4Is He not your ,ather himself that got you an$ ma$e you an$ !reate$ you.5 an$ again, 4&ons "ho have not faith in them5' An$ in Isaiah, 4I have nourishe$ an$ rought up !hil$ren, an$ they have re elle$ against me5/ an$ in 6ala!hi, 4A son honors his father, an$ a servant his master3 if then I e a father, "here is my honor. an$ if I e a master, "here is my fear.5 &o then, even though #o$ is terme$ ,ather an$ their &ons "ho have een egotten y reason of their faith in Him, yet sure an$ un!hangea le sonship is not to e seen in the an!ient people' The very passages I have !ite$ sin!e the su 7e!tion of those so@!alle$ sons, sin!e a!!or$ing to the apostle 4the heir, as long as he is a !hil$, $iffers nothing from a servant, though he e lor$ of all/ 2ut is un$er tutors an$ governors until the time appointe$ of the father5' 2ut the fullness of time is in the so7ourn of our +or$ %esus Christ, "hen they "ho $esire re!eive a$option as sons, as Paul tea!hes in the "or$s, 4,or you $i$ not re!eive a spirit of slavery unto fear, ut you re!eive$ a spirit of a$option as sons,

"herein "e !ry 9A a ,ather05/ an$ as it is in the #ospel a!!or$ing to %ohn, 4To as many as re!eive$ Him He gave authority to e!ome !hil$ren of #o$ if elievers on His name5/ an$ it is y reason of this &pirit of a$option as sons, "e learn in the Catholi! Epistle of %ohn regar$ing the egotten of #o$, that 4Everyone that is egotten of #o$ $oes no sin e!ause His see$ a i$es in him, an$ he !annot sin e!ause he is egotten of #o$5' An$ yet if "e thin- of the meaning of the "or$s "hi!h are "ritten in +u-e, 4)hen you pray say3 ,ather''' 4, "e shall hesitate to a$$ress this e8pression to Him unless "e have e!ome genuine sons in !ase, in a$$ition to our other sins, "e shoul$ also e!ome lia le to a !harge of impiety' 6y meaning is as follo"s' In the first Epistle to Corinthians Paul says, 4No one !an say 9%esus is +or$0 save in a holy spirit, an$ no one that spea-s in #o$0s spirit says 9!urse$ e %esus0 !alling the same thing a holy spirit an$ #o$0s spirit5' )hat is meant y spea-ing in a holy spirit of %esus as +or$ is not (uite !lear, as !ountless a!tors an$ num ers of hetero$o8 people, an$ at times even $emons !on(uere$ y the po"er in the name, utter the e8pression' No one therefore "ill venture to $e!lare that anyone of these !alls %esus 9+or$0 in a holy spirit' ,or the same reason, in$ee$, they !oul$ not e sho"n to !all %esus +or$ at all, sin!e they alone !all %esus +or$ "ho e8press it from in"ar$ $isposition in servi!e to the "or$ of #o$ an$ in pro!laiming no other +or$ than Him in all their !on$u!t' An$ if it e su!h "ho say %esus is +or$, it may e that everyone "ho sins, in that he !urses the $ivine )or$ through his transgression, has through his a!tions !alle$ out, 4Curse$ e %esus5' An$ a!!or$ingly, as the one type of man says 4%esus is +or$5, an$ the man of opposite $isposition 4Curse$ e %esus5, 4so everyone that hath een egotten of #o$ an$ $oes not sin5 e!ause he is parta-er of #o$0s see$ "hi!h turns him from all sin, says through his !on$u!t 4Our ,ather in Heaven5, the spirit himself "itnessing "ith their spirit that they are !hil$ren of #o$ an$ heirs to Him an$ 7oint heirs "ith Christ, sin!e as suffering "ith Him they reasona ly hope "ith Him also to e glorifie$' 2ut in or$er that theirs may e no one@si$e$ utteran!e of the "or$s 4Our ,ather5, in a$$ition to their a!tions they have a heart * a fountain an$ sour!e of goo$ a!tions * elieving unto righteousness, in harmony "ith "hi!h their mouth ma-es a!-no"le$gment unto salvation' &o then their every a!t an$ "or$ an$ thought, forme$ y the only egotten "or$ in a!!or$ "ith Him, imitates the image of the invisi le #o$ an$ has !ome to e 4in a!!or$an!e "ith the image of the Creator5 "ho ma-es 4the sun to rise upon evil men an$ goo$ an$ rains upon righteous an$ unrighteous5, that there may e in them the image of the heavenly One "ho is himself also an image of #o$' &aints, therefore, as an image of an Image himself, a son, re!eive the impress of &onship, e!oming !onforme$ not only to the glorifie$ o$y of Christ ut also to Him "ho is in that o$y, an$ they e!ome !onforme$ to Him "ho is in a glorifie$ o$y through eing transforme$ y the rene"ing of their min$' An$ if su!h men through out the "hole of life voi!e the "or$s 4Our ,ather in the Heavens5, plainly he that $oes sin, as %ohn says in the Catholi! Epistle, 4is of the $evil

e!ause the $evil sins from the eginning5 an$ 7ust as #o$0s see$ a i$ing in the egotten of #o$ pro$u!es ina ility to sin in him "ho is forme$ in a!!or$an!e "ith the only egotten )or$, so the $evil0s see$ is in everyone that $oes sin, to the e8tent in "hi!h it is present "ithin the soul * not suffering its possessor to have po"er to prosper' 2ut sin!e 4for this en$ "as the &on of #o$ manifeste$ that He might un$o the a!tions of the $evil5, it is possi le, through the un$oing of the a!tions of the $evil y the so7ourn of the )or$ of #o$ "ithin our &oul, for the evil see$ implante$ in us to e utterly remove$ an$ for us to e!ome !hil$ren of #o$' +et us, therefore, not thin- that it is "or$s "e are taught to say in any appointe$ season of prayer' On the !ontrary, if "e un$erstan$ our former !onsi$eration of prayer "ithout !easing, let our "hole life of prayer "ithout !easing spea- the "or$s 4Our ,ather in the Heavens5, having its !ommon"ealth in no "ise on earth ut in every "ay in heaven, "hi!h is #o$0s throne e!ause of the foun$ation of the -ing$om of #o$ in all "ho "ear the image of the Heavenly One an$ therefore e!ome heavenly' )hen the ,ather of saints is sai$ to e in the heavens, "e are not to suppose that He is !ir!ums!ri e$ y material form an$ $"ells in heaven' &in!e, in that !ase, as !ontaine$ #o$ "ill e forme$ to e less than the heavens e!ause they !ontain Him, "hereas the ineffa le might of His go$hea$ $eman$s our elief that all things are !ontaine$ an$ hel$ together y Him' An$, in general, passages "hi!h ta-en literally are thought y the simpler or$er of min$s to assert that #o$ is in spa!e are to e other"ise ta-en in a sense more e!oming to great spiritual !on!epts of #o$' &u!h are those passages in the #ospel a!!or$ing to %ohn3 2efore the feast of the Passover, %esus, -no"ing that His hour ha$ !ome that He shoul$ pass from this "orl$ to the ,ather, as He ha$ love$ His o"n "ho "ere in the "orl$, love$ them to the en$/ an$ shortly after3 -no"ing that the ,ather ha$ given all into His han$s, an$ that He ha$ !ome forth from #o$ an$ "as returning to #o$/ an$ later3 you hear$ that I sai$ to you3 I return an$ !ome unto you' If you love$ me you "oul$ have re7oi!e$ that I go to the ,ather/ an$ again later/ No" I return to Him that sent me an$ none of you as-s me3 )here $o you return. If these things are to e ta-en spa!ially, so also plainly is3 %esus ans"ere$ an$ sai$ to them, 4If any one love me he "ill -eep my "or$ an$ my ,ather "ill love him an$ "e shall !ome unto him an$ ma-e a o$e "ith him5' 2ut surely the "or$s $o not imply a spa!ial transition of the ,ather an$ the &on to the lover of the "or$ of %esus an$ are therefore not to e ta-en spa!ially' On the !ontrary, the )or$ of #o$, in !on$es!ension for us an$, in regar$ to His proper $esert, in humiliation "hile among men, is sai$ to pass from this "orl$ unto the ,ather so that "e also may ehol$ Him perfe!tly there in reversion to His proper fullness from the emptiness among us "here y He emptie$ himself * "here "e also, en7oying His gui$an!e, shall e fille$ an$ free$ from all emptiness' To su!h an en$ the )or$ of #o$ "ell may leave the "orl$ an$ $epart to Him that sent Him, an$ go to the ,atherD An$ as for that passage near the en$ of the #ospel a!!or$ing to %ohn, 4Cling not to me, for I am not yet gone up unto my ,ather5, let us see- to !on!eive it in the more mysti!al sense3

+et ours e the more reverent !on!eption of the as!ension of the &on to the ,ather "ith san!tifie$ insight, an as!ension rather of soul than of o$y' I thin- it right to have lin-e$ these !onsi$erations to the !lause Our ,ather in the Heavens for the sa-e of $oing a"ay "ith a lo" !on!eption of #o$ hel$ y those "ho thin- that He is in heaven spa!ially, an$ of preventing anyone from saying #o$ is in material spa!e sin!e it follo"s that He also is physi!al, "hi!h lea$s to opinions most impiousL * to elief that He is $ivisi le an$ material an$ !orrupti le' ,or every material thing is $ivisi le an$ !orrupti le' Or else let them tell us, not on the strength of vague sensation ut "ith a !laim to !lear un$erstan$ing, ho" it !an e of any other than a material nature' &in!e, then, in "ritings efore Christ0s o$ily so7ourn there are also many statements "hi!h seem to say that #o$ is in physi!al spa!e, it appears to me to e not out of pla!e to !ite a fe" of them also for the sa-e of $oing a"ay "ith any $ou t in those "ho, e!ause they -no" no etter, !onfine #o$, "ho is over all, "ithin small an$ s!anty spa!e on their o"n s!ale' ,irst, in #enesis it says A$am an$ Eve hear$ the soun$ of the lor$ #o$ "al-ing at evening in the gar$en, an$ oth A$am an$ his "ife hi$ themselves from the +or$ #o$ ami$ the "oo$ of the #ar$en' I shall put the (uestion to those "ho not only refuse to enter into the treasures of the passage ut $o not so mu!h as -no!- at all at its $oor, "hether they are a le to imagine the +or$ #o$, "ho fills the heaven an$ the earth, "ho as they themselves suppose in the more physi!al sense uses heaven as throne an$ the earth as a footstool for His feet, as !ontaine$ y so s!anty a spa!e in !omparison "ith the "hole heaven an$ the earth that a gar$en "hi!h they suppose to e material is not fille$ y #o$ ut so far e8!ee$s Him in greatness as to hol$ Him even "hen "al-ing "hile a soun$ from the trea$ of His feet is hear$. A sur$er still on their interpretation is the hi$ing of A$am an$ Eve, in fear of #o$ y reason of their transgression, from efore #o$ ami$ the "oo$ of the #ar$en' ,or it is not even sai$ that they merely $esire$ to hi$e ut that they a!tually hi$ themselves' An$ ho" is it in their vie" that #o$ in(uires of A$am saying3 )here are you. I have $is!usse$ these matters at greater length in my e8amination of the !ontents of #enesis, yet here, too * in or$er not to pass y so grave a su 7e!t in !omplete silen!e * it "ill suffi!e if I re!all "hat is sai$ y #o$ in Deuteronomy3 I "ill $"ell in them an$ "al- in them' ,or as is His "al- in saints su!h is His "al- in the #ar$en also, sin!e everyone that sins hi$es from #o$ an$ shuns His oversight an$ renoun!es his !onfi$en!e "ith Him' &o it "as that Cain also "ent out from efore #o$ an$ $"elt in the lan$ of No$ over against E$en' In the same "ay, therefore, as He $"ells in saints' &o also $oes He $"ell in heaven <that is, in every saint "ho "ears the image of the Heavenly One, or Christ, in "hom all "ho are eing save$ are luminaries an$ stars of heaven, or else e!ause saints are in heaven= a!!or$ing to the saying3 Unto you "ho $"ells in heaven have I lifte$ up my eyes' An$ yet the passage in E!!lesiastes3 2e not in haste to utter spee!h efore #o$, e!ause #o$ is in heaven a ove, an$ you on Earth elo", means to sho" the interval "hi!h separates those "ho are in the o$y of humiliation from Him "ho is "ith the angels an$ holy po"ers "ho are eing e8alte$ y the help of the )or$ also an$ "ith Christ himself' ,or it is not unreasona le that He shoul$ e stri!tly at the ,ather0s throne, allegori!ally !alle$ heaven, "hile His !hur!h, terme$ Earth, is a footstool at His feet'

I have !ite$ a fe" Ol$ Testament utteran!es, thought to represent #o$ in spa!e, for the sa-e of urging the rea$er y every means "ithin the po"er given me to a!!ept the $ivine s!ripture in the higher an$ more spiritual sense "henever it seems to tea!h that #o$ is in spa!e' An$ it "as fitting that these !onsi$erations shoul$ e lin-e$ to the !lause Our ,ather in the Heavens inasmu!h as it $istinguishes the essen!e of #o$ from all !reate$ eings' ,or it is upon su!h as $o not share in that essen!e that a !ertain glory of #o$ an$ a po"er from Him, an outflo" of the $eity, !omes CHAPTER KIB HA++O)ED 2E TH1 NA6E Hallo"e$ e Thy name' Although this may represent either that the o 7e!t of prayer has not yet !ome to pass, or after its attainment, that it is not permanent in "hi!h !ase the re(uest is for its retention/ the language in this instan!e ma-es it plain that it is "ith the impli!ation that the name of the ,ather has not yet een hallo"e$, that "e are i$$en * a!!or$ing to 6atthe" an$ +u-e, that is * to say 4Hallo"e$ e Thy Name5' Then ho", one might say, shoul$ a man re(uest the hallo"ing of #o$0s name as though not hallo"e$. +et us un$erstan$ "hat the ,ather0s name, an$ "hat the hallo"ing of it, means' A name is a summary $esignation $es!riptive of the pe!uliar !hara!ter of the thing name$' Thus the Apostle Paul has a !ertain pe!uliar !hara!ter, partly of soul "hi!h is a!!or$ingly of a !ertain -in$, partly of intelle!t "hi!h is a!!or$ingly !ontemplative of !ertain things, an$ partly of o$y "hi!h is a!!or$ingly of a !ertain -in$' It is the pe!uliar in these !hara!teristi!s, the uni(ue !om ination * for there is not another eing i$enti!al "ith Paul * that is in$i!ate$ y means of the appellation Paul' In the !ase of men, ho"ever, "hose pe!uliar !hara!teristi!s are !hange$, their names also y a soun$ usage are !hange$ a!!or$ing to s!ripture' )hen the !hara!ter of A ram "as transforme$, he "as !alle$ A raham/ "hen that of &imon he "as name$ Peter, an$ "hen that of &aul the perse!utor of %esus, he "as $esignate$ Paul' 2ut in the !ase of #o$, inasmu!h as He is himself ever un!hangea le an$ unaltera le, the proper name "hi!h even He may e sai$ to ear is ever one, that mentione$ in E8o$us, 4He that is5, or the li-e' &in!e therefore, though "e all have some notion of #o$, !on!eiving of Him in various "ays, ut not all of "hat He is, for fe" an$, e it sai$, fe"er than fe" are they "ho !omprehen$ His !ompete holiness * "e are "ith goo$ reason taught to attain to a holy !on!eption of Him in or$er that "e may see His holiness as !reator, provi$er, 7u$ge, ele!tor, a an$oner, a!!eptor, re7e!tor, re"ar$er an$ punisher of ea!h a!!or$ing to his $esert' ,or it is in su!h an$ similar terms that #o$0s pe!uliar !hara!ter may e sai$ to e s-et!he$ "hi!h I ta-e to e the meaning of the e8pression, #o$0s name a!!or$ing to the s!riptures in E8o$us3 Thou shall not ta-e the name of the +or$ your #o$ in vain/ in Deuteronomy3 2e my utteran!e a"aite$ as rain3 as $e" let my "or$s $es!en$, as sho"ers upon her age an$ as moisture upon grass3 for I have !alle$ on the +or$0s name/ an$ in Psalms3 They shall remem er your name in every generation'

It is he "ho asso!iates the thought of #o$ "ith "rong things that ta-es the name of the +or$ #o$ in vain, an$ he "ho is a le to utter rain that !ooperates "ith his hearers in the fruit earing of their souls, an$ "ho a$$resses "or$s of e8hortation that are li-e $e", an$ "ho in the e$ifying torrent of his "or$s turns upon his listeners sho"ers most helpful or moisture most effi!a!ious is a le to $o so e!ause he has per!eive$ his nee$ of #o$ as the a!!omplisher an$ !alls in the real supplier of those things/ an$ everyone "ho penetrates the very things of #o$ re!alls to min$ rather than learns the mysteries of piety even "hen he seems to e tol$ them y another or thin-s that he $is!overs them' An$ as the suppliant ought at this point to refle!t that his as-ing is for the hallo"ing of #o$0s name, so in Psalms it is sai$ +et us E8alt His name together, the patriar!h en7oining attainment to the true an$ e8alte$ -no"le$ge of #o$0s pe!uliar nature "ith all harmony, in the same min$, an$ in the same "ill' It is e8alting the name of #o$ together "hen, after one has parti!ipate$ in an outflo" of $eity in having een sustaine$ y #o$ an$ having over!ome his enemies so that they are una le to re7oi!e over his fall, he e8alts the po"er of #o$ in "hi!h he has parti!ipate$, as is sho"n in the t"enty@ninth psalm y the "or$s3 I "ill e8alt you, O +or$, for you have sustaine$ me an$ not ma$e my enemies to re7oi!e over me' A man e8alts #o$ "hen he has !onse!rate$ to Him a house "ithin himself, sin!e the supers!ription of the Psalm also runs thus3 A Psalm of singing for the !onse!ration of the House of Davi$' It is further to e o serve$ regar$ing the !lause Hallo"e$ e your Name an$ its su!!essors in imperative form, that the translators also !ontinually ma$e use of imperatives instea$ of a latives, as in the Psalms3 &pee!hless let the guileful lips e, that spea- la"lessness against the righteous instea$ of 9may they e0 an$ +et the !re$itor sear!h out all his possessions3 +et him possess no helper, !on!erning %u$as in the one hun$re$ an$ eighth/ for the "hole Psalm is a petition !on!erning %u$as that !ertain things may efall him' 2ut Tatian, failing to per!eive that let there e $oes not al"ays signify the a lative ut is o!!asionally also imperative, has most impiously suppose$ that #o$ sai$ +et there e light in prayer rather than in !omman$ that the light shoul$ e/ sin!e, as he puts it in his go$less thought, #o$ "as in $ar-ness' In reply to him it may e as-e$, ho" is he going to ta-e the other sayings. +et the Earth gro" grass, an$ +et the "ater elo" heaven e gathere$ together, an$ +et the "aters ring forth !reeping things "ith living souls, an$ +et the earth ring forth a living soul' Is it for the sa-e of stan$ing upon firm groun$ that He prays that the "ater elo" heaven e gathere$ together into one meeting pla!e, or for the sa-e of parta-ing of the things that gro" from the earth that He prays +et the Earth gro"''' . )hat manner of nee$, to mat!h His nee$ of light/ has He of !reatures of "ater, air, an$ lan$ that He shoul$ pray for them also. If even on Tatian0s vie" it is a sur$ to thin- of Him as praying for these things "hi!h o!!ur in imperative e8pressions, may the same not e sai$ of +et e there light * that it is an imperative an$ not an a lative e8pression. I thought that, in vie" of the fa!t that prayer is e8presse$ in imperative forms, some referen!e "as ne!essary to his perversion for the sa-e of those * I myself have met "ith

!ases "ho have een misle$ into a!!epting his impious tea!hing CHAPTER KB TH1 ;IN#DO6 CO6E Thy ;ing$om Come' A!!or$ing to the "or$ of our +or$ an$ &avior, the ;ing$om of #o$ $oes not !ome o serva ly, nor shall men say 9+o it is here0, or 9+o is it there0, ut the ;ing$om of #o$ is "ithin us/ for the utteran!e is e8!ee$ingly near in our mouth an$ in our heart' It is therefore plain that he "ho prays for the !oming of the -ing$om of #o$ prays "ith goo$ reason for rising an$ fruit earing an$ perfe!ting of #o$0s -ing$om "ithin him' ,or every saint is rule$ over y #o$ an$ o eys the &piritual la"s of #o$, an$ !on$u!ts himself li-e a "ell@or$ere$ !ity/ an$ the ,ather is present "ith him, an$ Christ rules together "ith the ,ather in the perfe!te$ &oul, a!!or$ing to the saying that I mentione$ shortly efore3 )e "ill !ome unto him an$ ma-e a o$e "ith him' 2y #o$0s -ing$om I un$erstan$ the lesse$ !on$ition of the min$ an$ the settle$ or$er of "ise refle!tion/ y Christ0s -ing$om the issue of "or$s of salvation to their hearers an$ the pra!ti!e of a!ts of righteousness an$ the other e8!ellen!es/ for the son of #o$ is "or$ an$ righteousness' 2ut every sinner is tyranni:e$ y the ruler of this "orl$, sin!e every sinner is in !onformity "ith the present evil "orl$, an$ $oes not yiel$ himself to Him "ho gave Himself for us sinners that He might release us from the present evil "orl$ an$ release us a!!or$ing to the "ill of #o$ our ,ather, as it is e8presse$ in the Epistle to #alatians' An$ he "ho, y reason of $eli erate sin is tyranni:e$ y the ruler of this "orl$, is also rule$ over y sin3 "herefore "e are i$$en y Paul to e no longer su 7e!t to sin that "oul$ rule over us, an$ "e are en7oine$ in these "or$s, +et sin therefore not rule in our mortal o$y that "e shoul$ o ey its lusts' 2ut in referen!e to oth !lauses Hallo"e$ 2e Thy Name an$ Thy ;ing$om Come, it may e urge$ that, if the suppliant prays them "ith a vie" to eing hear$ an$ ever is hear$, plainly his "ill e an instan!e, ans"ering to "hat has 7ust een sai$, of the name of #o$ eing hallo"e$ an$ of the rise of the ;ing$om of #o$, in "hi!h event ho" shall he any longer "ith propriety pray for things alrea$y present as though they not present, saying Hallo"e$ e Thy Name3 Thy ;ing$om Come3. * An$ in that !ase it "ill sometimes e proper not to say Hallo"e$ 2e Thy Name3 Thy ;ing$om Come' To this it may e replie$ that 7ust as he "ho prays to o tain a "or$ of -no"le$ge an$ a "or$ of "is$om "ill "ith propriety pray for them !ontinually "ith the prospe!t of !ontinually re!eiving fuller !ontemplations of "is$om an$ -no"le$ge through eing hear$, although his -no"le$ge of su!h things as he may e a le in the present to re!eive is partial, "hereas the perfe!t that annuls the partial shall then e manifeste$ "hen the min$ !onfronts its o 7e!ts fa!e to fa!e "ithout sensation * so perfe!tion in our in$ivi$ual hallo"ing of the name of #o$ an$ in the rise of His -ing$om "ithin us is not possi le unless there also !ome perfe!tion of -no"le$ge an$ "is$om an$ it may e the other e8!ellen!es'

)e are "ayfaring to"ar$ perfe!tion if "e forget the things ehin$, pressing on to"ar$ those efore us' The -ing$om of #o$ "ithin us "ill therefore e !onsummate$ in us as "e a$van!e "ithout !easing, "hen, the saying in the Apostle is fulfille$, that Christ, His enemies all ma$e su 7e!t to Him, shall $eliver the -ing$om to #o$ the ,ather that #o$ may e All in All' ,or this reason let us pray "ithout !easing "ith a $isposition ma$e $ivine y the )or$, an$ say to our ,ather in heaven3 Hallo"e$ 2e Thy Name3 Thy ;ing$om Come' Of the -ing$om of #o$ it is further to e sai$ y "ay of $istin!tion that as righteousness has no partnership "ith la"lessness an$ light no !ommunity "ith $ar-ness an$ Christ no argument "ith 2elial, so a -ing$om of sin is in!ompati le "ith the ;ing$om of #o$' If, a!!or$ingly "e "oul$ e rule$ over y #o$, y no means let sin rule in our mortal o$y nor let us o ey its !omman$s "hen it !alls our soul forth to the "or-s of the flesh that are alien to #o$, ut let us mortify our mem ers that are on earth an$ ear the fruits of the &pirit that the +or$ may "al- in us as in a spiritual gar$en, ruling alone over us "ith His Christ seate$ "ithin us on the right of the &piritual po"er that "e pray to re!eive, sitting until all His enemies "ithin us e!ome a footstool for His feet an$ every rule an$ authority an$ po"er e un$one from us' These things may !ome to pass in the !ase of ea!h of us, an$ $eath the last energy e un$one, so that Christ may say "ithin us also O $eath, "here is your sting. O graveD )here is your vi!tory. Even no", therefore, let our !orrupti le put on the holiness an$ in!orrupti leness that !onsists in !hastity an$ purity, an$ our mortal, $eath un$one, "rap itself in the paternal immortality, so that, eing rule$ over y #o$, "e may even no" live ami$ the lessings of regeneration an$ resurre!tion CHAPTER KBI TH1 )I++ 2E DONE ON EARTH A+&O A& IN HEABEN Thy )ill e $one on Earth also as in Heaven' After the !lause Thy ;ing$om !ome +u-e has passe$ over these "or$s in silen!e an$ pla!e$ the !lause #ive us $aily our Nee$ful 2rea$' +et us therefore e8amine ne8t in su!!ession the "or$s I have pla!e$ first as set $o"n in 6atthe" alone' As suppliants "ho are still on earth, elieving that the "ill of #o$ is $one in heaven among all the househol$ of the heavens, let us pray that the "ill of #o$ may e $one y us also "ho are on earth in li-e manner "ith them, as "ill !ome to pass "hen "e $o nothing !ontrary to His "ill' An$ "hen the "ill of #o$ as it is in heaven has een a!!omplishe$ y us also "ho are on earth, "e shall inherit a -ing$om of heaven as having, ali-e "ith them, "orn the image of the Heavenly One, "hile those "ho !ome after us on earth are praying to e!ome in turn li-e us "ho have !ome to e in heaven' &o far as 6atthe" alone is !on!erne$ the "or$s on Earth also as in Heaven !an e ta-en in !ommon, so that "hat "e are en7oine$ to say in prayer "oul$ run thus3 Hallo"e$ e Thy Name on Earth also as in Heaven3 Thy ;ing$om !ome on Earth also as in Heaven3 Thy )ill e $one on Earth also as in Heaven' ,or ali-e the name of #o$ has een

hallo"e$ among those "ho are in heaven, an$ the -ing$om of #o$ is risen in them, an$ the "ill of #o$ has een $one in their mi$st * things in$ee$ "hi!h are all unreali:e$ y us ut "hi!h !an e a!(uire$ y us through ren$ering ourselves "orthy to o tain #o$0s hearing in referen!e to them all' The "or$s Thy )ill e $one on Earth also as in Heaven may raise the (uestion ho" has the "ill of #o$ een $one in Heaven "here the spiritual for!es of evil are, y reason of "hi!h the s"or$ of #o$ shall $rin- $eep even in heaven. If "e pray thus that the "ill of #o$ e $one on Earth 7ust as it is eing $one in heaven may "e not thoughtlessly e praying that the very opposite may a i$e on earth "here su!h things alrea$y !ome from heaven sin!e mu!h that is a$ on earth is $ue to the over!oming spiritual for!es of evil "hi!h are in the heavenly pla!es. Anyone "ho allegori:es heaven an$ asserts that it is Christ, an$ Earth the !hur!h * "hat throne so "orthy of the ,ather as Christ. )hat footstool of the feet of #o$ as the Chur!h. * "ill easily solve the (uestion y replying that everyone in the !hur!h ought to pray to re!eive the paternal "ill in su!h "ise as Christ has $one, "ho !ame to $o the "ill of His ,ather an$ a!!omplishe$ if !ompletely' ,or it is possi le y eing 7oine$ to Him to e!ome one spirit "ith Him an$ therefore re!eptive of the "ill to the en$ that, as it has een a!!omplishe$ in heaven, so it may e a!!omplishe$ on earth also/ for he that is 7oine$ to the +or$, a!!or$ing to Paul, is one spirit' An$ I elieve that one "ho !arefully !onsi$ers it "ill fin$ this an interpretation not to e $espise$' 2ut someone may $ispute it y !iting "hat is sai$ to the eleven $is!iples y the +or$ after the resurre!tion at the !lose of the this gospel3 There hath een given to me all authority on earth also as in heaven' That is, having authority over the things that are in heaven, He says that He has also re!eive$ it over those on earth3 )hereas those that are in heaven have alrea$y een illumine$ y the )or$, it is at the !onsummation of the "orl$ that those on earth are also, in imitation of those over "hi!h the &avior re!eive$ authority, rought to a su!!essful issue y reason of the authority given to the &on of #o$3 a!!or$ingly His "ill is to re!eive those "ho are $is!iples un$er Him as in a sense !ooperants through their prayers to the ,ather in or$er that, in li-e manner "ith the things in heaven that are su 7e!t to Truth an$ )or$, He may lea$ the things on Earth, restore$ y reason of the authority "hi!h He has re!eive$ on earth also as in heaven, to an en$ fraught "ith liss for the o 7e!ts of His authority' On the other han$ one "ho "oul$ ta-e heaven to e the &avior an$ Earth the !hur!h, asserting that it is the first orn of all !reation, on "hom the ,ather reposes as on a throne, that is heaven, "oul$ fin$ that it is the man "hom He put on after having een fitte$ for su!h po"er e!ause He ha$ hum le$ himself an$ having een o e$ient till $eath, "ho says after the resurre!tion There hath een given to me all authority on Earth also as in heaven * the man in the &avior having re!eive$ His authority over the things in heaven, as the proper possessions of the Only@ egotten, in or$er to e in !ommunion "ith Him, mingling in His $ivinity an$ e!oming one "ith Him' 2ut if this se!on$ thought $oes not yet solve the $iffi!ulty as to ho" the "ill of #o$ !an e in heaven "hen the spiritual for!es of evil in the heavenly pla!es "restle against

those "ho are on earth, it "ill e possi le to solve the (uestion from this !onsi$eration * It is not y virtue of pla!e ut of prin!iple that one "ho is still on earth ut has a !ommon"ealth in heaven an$ lays up treasure in heaven an$ has his heart in heaven an$ "ears the image of the Heavenly One, is no longer of the earth nor of the "orl$ elo" ut of heaven an$ of the heavenly "orl$ that is etter than this' &o, too, the spiritual for!es of evil "hi!h still $"ell in the heavenly pla!es ut have their !ommon"ealth on earth an$ plot against men the means "here y they "restle against man-in$, an$ lay up treasure on Earth, an$ "ear an image of the Earthly One "ho the eginning of the +or$0s fashioning ma$e to e mo!-e$ y the angels, are not heavenly nor y reason of their vi!ious $isposition $o they $"ell in the heavens' A!!or$ingly "hen it is sai$3 Thy "ill e $one on Earth also as in Heaven, "e are not to re!-on those eings as in heaven at all, e!ause through pri$e they have fallen along "ith Him "ho fell from heaven li-e a thun$er olt' An$ it may "ell e that our &avior, in saying that "e ought to pray that the ,ather0s "ill may e $one on Earth also as in heaven, $oes not y any means or$er prayer for things spa!ially on earth that they may e ma$e li-e things spa!ially in heaven, ut His "ill in en7oining prayer is that all things on earth, that is things inferior an$ !onforme$ to the earthly, e ma$e li-e the etter "hi!h have their !ommon"ealth in heaven, "hi!h have all e!ome heaven' ,or he that sins, "herever he may e, is earth, an$ "ill turn into the li-e someho", unless he repents, "hereas he that $oes the "ill of #o$ an$ $oes not $iso ey the spiritual la"s of salvation is heaven' )hether therefore "e are still earth e!ause of sin, let us pray that the "ill of #o$ may e8ten$ restoringly to us also as it has alrea$y rea!he$ those "ho have e!ome or are heaven efore us3 or if "e are alrea$y a!!ounte$ not earth ut heaven y #o$, let our re(uest e that, in li-e manner "ith heaven, on earth also, in inferior things I mean, the "ill of #o$ may e fulfille$ unto "hat I may term earth0s heaven@ma-ing, so that there shall e no longer earth ut all things e!ome heaven' ,or if, on this interpretation, the "ill of #o$ e $one on earth also as in heaven, earth "ill not remain earth, 7ust as to ma-e my meaning !learer "ith another illustration * if the "ill of #o$ e $one in the !ase of the "anton as it has een "ith the temperate, the "anton "ill e temperate, or if it shoul$ e in the !ase of the unrighteous as it has een "ith the righteous, the unrighteous "ill e righteous' If, therefore, the "ill of #o$ e $one on earth also as it has een in heaven, "e shall all e heaven/ for though flesh that helps not/ an$ loo$ that is a-in to it, are una le to inherit #o$0s -ing$om, they may e sai$ to inherit it if they e !hange$ from flesh an$ earth an$ !lay an$ loo$ to the heavenly essen!e CHAPTER KBII #IBE U& TODA1 OUR NEED,U+ 2READ #ive us to$ay our Nee$ful 2rea$, or as +u-e has it, #ive us $aily our Nee$ful 2rea$' &eeing that some suppose that it is meant that "e shoul$ pray for material rea$, their

erroneous opinion $eserves to e $one a"ay "ith an$ the truth a out the nee$ful rea$ set forth, in the follo"ing manner' )e may put the (uestion to them * ho" !an it e that He, "ho says that heavenly an$ great things ought to e as-e$ for as if, on their vie", He has forgotten His tea!hing no" en7oins the offering of inter!ession to the ,ather for an earthly an$ little thing, sin!e neither is the rea$ "hi!h is assimilate$ into our flesh a heavenly thing nor is it as-ing a great thing to re(uest it. ,or my part I shall follo" the Tea!her0s o"n tea!hing as to the rea$ an$ !ite the passages in $etail' To men "ho have !ome to Capernaum to see- Him He says, in the #ospel a!!or$ing to %ohn, Berily, verily, I tell you you see- me not e!ause you sa" signs ut e!ause you ate of the loaves of rea$ an$ "ere fille$''' for he that has eaten an$ een fille$ "ith the loaves of rea$ "hi!h have een lesse$ y %esus see-s the more to grasp the &on of #o$ more !losely an$ hastens to"ar$ Him' )herefore He "ill en7oin3 )or- not for the foo$ that perishes ut for the foo$ that a i$es unto life eternal "hi!h the &on of 6an shall give you' An$ "hen, upon that, they "ho ha$ hear$ in(uire$ an$ sai$3 )hat are "e to $o that "e may "or- the "or-s of #o$. %esus ans"ere$ an$ sai$ to them3 This is the "or- of #o$ that you elieve on him "hom He has sent' As it is "ritten in Psalms, #o$ sent His )or$ an$ heale$ them, that is the $isease$, an$ elievers in that )or$ "or- the "or-s of #o$ "hi!h are foo$ that a i$es unto life eternal' An$ my ,ather, He says, gives you the true rea$ from heaven, for the rea$ of #o$ is that "hi!h !omes $o"n from heaven an$ gives life to the "orl$' It is true rea$ that nourishes the true man "ho is ma$e in #o$0s image, an$ he that has een nourishe$ y it also e!omes in the Creator0s li-eness' )hat is more nourishing to the soul than )or$, or "hat more pre!ious to the min$ of him that is !apa le of re!eiving it than the )is$om of #o$. )hat is more !ongenial to the rational nature than Truth. &houl$ it e urge$ in o 7e!tion to this vie" that He "oul$ not in that !ase tea!h men to as- for nee$ful rea$ as if something other than Himself, it is to e note$ that He also $is!ourses in the #ospel a!!or$ing to %ohn sometimes as if it "ere other than Himself ut at other times as if He is Himself the 2rea$' The former in the sense of the "or$s3 6oses hath given you the rea$ from heaven yet not the true rea$, ut my ,ather gives you the true rea$ from heaven' In the latter sense, to those "ho ha$ sai$ to Him Ever give us this rea$, He says3 I am the rea$ of life3 he that !omes unto me shall not hunger, an$ he that elieves on me shall not thirst/ an$ shortly after3 I am the living rea$ that is !ome $o"n from heaven3 if anyone eat of this rea$ he shall live unto eternity3 yea an$ the rea$ "hi!h I shall give is my flesh "hi!h I shall give for the sa-e of the life of the "orl$' No" sin!e all manner of nourishment is spo-en of as rea$ a!!or$ing to &!ripture as is !lear from the fa!t that it is re!or$e$ of 6oses that he ate not rea$ an$ $ran- not "ater forty $ays, an$ sin!e the nourishing )or$ is manifol$ an$ various, not all eing !apa le of nourishment y the soli$ity an$ strength of the $ivine tea!hings, He is therefore please$ to offer strenuous nourishment efitting men more perfe!t, "here He says3

The rea$ "hi!h I shall give is my flesh "hi!h I shall give for the sa-e of the life of the "orl$3 an$ shortly after3 E8!ept you eat the flesh of the son of 6an an$ $rin-s His loo$, you have not life in yourselves' He that eats my flesh an$ $rin-s my loo$ hath life eternal, an$ I "ill raise him up in the last $ay' for my flesh is true foo$ an$ my loo$ is true $rin-' He that eats my flesh an$ $rin-s my loo$ a i$es in me an$ I in him'As the living ,ather sent me an$ I live e!ause of the ,ather, so also he that eats me * he too shall live e!ause of me' This is the true foo$, Christ0s flesh, "hi!h eing )or$ has e!ome flesh, as it is sai$ An$ the )or$ e!ame flesh' )hen "e eat an$ $rin- the )or$ He ta erna!les in us' )hen He is assimilate$ the "or$s are fulfille$3 )e ehel$ His glory' This is the rea$ that is !ome $o"n from heaven' Not as the fathers ate an$ $ie$, he that eats this rea$ shall live unto eternity' Dis!oursing to infant Corinthians "ho "al- in the "ay of man Paul says3 I gave you mil- to $rin-, not meat, for you "ere not yet a le' Nay even no" you are not yet a le, for you are still of the flesh/ an$ in the Epistle to He re"s3 An$ you are e!ome in nee$ of mil-, not of soli$ nourishment' ,or any one "ho parta-es of mil- is $evoi$ of moral reason, for he is infant' 2ut soli$ nourishment is for mature men "ho y for!e of use have their senses traine$ to $is!riminate goo$ an$ evil' In my opinion the "or$s3 One man hath faith to eat anything, ut he that is "ea- eats vegeta les are also in his intention meant to refer not to material forms of nourishment ut to the "or$s of #o$ that nourish the soul3 Of these the man most faithful an$ mature is a le to parta-e of any, he eing $enote$ in the "or$s One man hath faith to eat anything, "hereas the "ea-er an$ more immature is !ontent "ith simpler tea!hings that $o not (uite pro$u!e full strength in him, referen!e eing inten$e$ to him in the "or$s 2ut he that is "ea- eats vegeta les' There is also in &olomon a saying in the Prover s "hi!h I thin- tea!hes that the man "ho y reason of simpli!ity is in!apa le of the stronger an$ greater sentiments is etter, short of false thought, than the man "ho, though more rea$y an$ -eener an$ of greater insight into things, fails to penetrate the prin!iple of pea!e an$ harmony in all' &olomon0s passage runs as follo"s3 2etter is hospitality of vegeta les serve$ "ith frien$ship an$ gra!e than a fatte$ !alf "ith enmity' 6any a time $o "e a!!ept untutore$ simpler entertainment, a!!ompanie$ y goo$ !ons!ien!e, as guests at the ta le of those "ho are una le to furnish us "ith more, "ith greater satisfa!tion than any elevation of "or$s upreare$ against the -no"le$ge of #o$ an$ pro!laiming "ith ample plausi ility a sentiment alien to the ,ather of our +or$ %esus "ho has given the la" an$ the prophets' In or$er, therefore, that "e may neither fall si!- of soul for la!- of nourishment nor $ie to #o$ e!ause of famine of the +or$0s "or$, let us in o e$ien!e to the tea!hing of our &avior, "ith righter faith an$ life, asthe ,ather for the living rea$ "hi!h is the same as the nee$ful rea$' +et us no" !onsi$er "hat the "or$ epiousion, nee$ful, means' ,irst of all it shoul$ e -no"n that the "or$ epiousion is not foun$ in any #ree- "riter "hether in philosophy or in !ommon usage, ut seems to have een forme$ y the evangelists' At least 6atthe" an$ +u-e, in having given it to the "orl$, !on!ur in using it in i$enti!al form'

The same thing has een $one y translators from He re" in other instan!es also/ for "hat #ree- ever use$ the e8pression enoti:ou or a-outisthete instea$ of eistaota $e8ai or a-ousai poi!e se' E8a!tly li-e the e8pression epiousion, nee$ful, is one foun$ in 6oses0 "ritings, spo-en y #o$3 1e shall e my periousios * pe!uliar people' Either "or$ seems to me to e a !ompun$ of ousia * essen!e * the former signifying the rea$ that !ontri utes to the essen!e, the latter $enoting the people that has to $o "ith the essen!e an$ is asso!iate$ "ith it' As for ousia, essen!e, in the stri!t sense, y those "ho assert the priority of the su stan!e of immaterial things, it is ran-e$ "ith immaterial things "hi!h are in possession of permanent eing an$ neither re!eive a$$ition nor suffer su tra!tion' ,or a$$ition an$ su tra!tion are !hara!teristi! of material things in referen!e to "hi!h gro"th an$ $e!ay ta-e pla!e o"ing to their eing in a state of flu8, in nee$ of importe$ support an$ nourishment' If the import e8!ee$s the "aste in a perio$ gro"th ta-es pla!e, if it is less, $iminuation/ an$ if, as in !on!eiva le, there are things re!eiving no import at all, they are in "hat I may term unmitigate$ $iminuation' Those on the other han$ "ho hol$ the su stan!e of immaterial things to e posterior an$ that of material things to e prior, $efine essen!e in these terms3 It is the primary matter of e8isting things out of "hi!h they are or the matter of o$ily things out of "hi!h they are/ or that of terms out of "hi!h they are/ or the primary un(ualifie$ su stan!e or presu stan!e of e8isting things/ or that "hi!h a$mits of all transformations an$ mo$ifi!ations though itself as su!h inherently in!apa le of mo$ifi!ation/ or that "hi!h un$ergoes all mo$ifi!ation an$ transformation' On their vie" essen!e is inherently un(ualifie$ an$ inarti!ulate as su!h' It is even in$eterminate in magnitu$e, ut it is involve$ in all (uality as a -in$ of rea$y groun$ for it' 2y (ualities they mean $istin!tively li-e the a!tualities an$ the a!tivities in "hi!h movements an$ arti!ulations of the essen!e have !ome to e, an$ they say that the essen!e as su!h has no part in these inherently though it is al"ays in!i$entally insepara le from some of them an$ e(ually re!eptive of all the agent0s a!tuali:ations ho"ever it may a!t an$ transform' <,or it the for!e asso!iate$ "ith the essen!e, perva$ing all that "oul$ e responsi le for all (uality an$ the parti!ular $ispositions involving it'= An$ they say that it is throughout transforma le an$ throughout $ivisi le, an$ that any essen!e !an !oales!e "ith any other, all eing a unity not "ithstan$ing' )hat I have sai$ in this $is!ussion of essen!e raise$ y the e8pressions the nee$ful rea$ an$ the pe!uliar people has een to $istinguish the meanings of essen!e' An$ sin!e "e have alrea$y seen that it is spiritual rea$ for "hi!h "e ought to as-, "e must nee$s un$erstan$ the essen!e to e a-in to the rea$, so that 7ust as material rea$ on assimilation into the o$y of the nourishe$ passes into its essen!e, so the living rea$ "hi!h is !ome $o"n from heaven eing assimilate$ into the min$ an$ soul may impart its o"n po"er to him "ho has lent himself to nourishment from it, an$ so e!ome the nee$ful rea$ for "hi!h "e as-' An$ again, in li-e manner, as the nourishe$ attains strength varying a!!or$ing to the !hara!ter of the nourishment "hether soli$ an$ fit for athletes or of the nature of mil-

an$ vegeta les, so it follo"s that "hen the "or$ of #o$ is given either as mil- as efits !hil$ren, or as vegeta les as suits invali$s, or as flesh as is proper for !om atants, ea!h of the nourishe$ a!(uires this or that po"er or nature a!!or$ing to the "or$ to "hi!h he has lent himself' 6oreover, there is a -in$ of repute$ nourishment "hi!h is in reality harmful, a se!on$ that is pro$u!tive of $isease, an$ another that !annot even e assimilate$, an$ all of these may e transferre$ y analogy to varieties of repute$ly nourishing tea!hings' Nee$ful, therefore, is the rea$ "hi!h !orrespon$s most !losely to our rational nature an$ is a-in to our very essen!e, "hi!h invests the soul at on!e "ith "ell eing an$ "ith strength, an$, sin!e the )or$ of #o$ is immortal, imparts to its eater its o"n immortality' It is 7ust this nee$ful rea$ that seems to me to e other"ise terme$ in &!ripture a tree of life, he "ho stret!hes forth his han$ to "hi!h an$ ta-es of it shall live unto eternity' An$ un$er a thir$ name this tree is terme$ "is$om of #o$ in &olomon0s "or$s3 &he is a tree of life to all that ta-e hol$ upon her an$ to those that lean upon her as upon the +or$ she is safe' An$ sin!e the angels also are nourishe$ y #o$0s "is$om re!eiving po"er for the a!!omplishment of their proper "or-s from their !ontemplation in truth "ith "is$om, it is sai$ in Psalms that the angels also are nourishe$, men of #o$ $esignate$ He re"s hol$ing !ommunion "ith the angels an$, as it "ere, even e!oming messfello"s "ith them' &u!h is the meaning of the saying32rea$ of angels hath man eaten' ,ar from us e su!h poverty of min$ as to suppose that it is of some material rea$, su!h as is re!or$e$ to have !ome $o"n from heaven upon those "ho ha$ (uitte$ Egypt, that the angels !ontinually parta-e an$ are nourishe$, as though it "as a!tually in this that the He re"s ha$ !ommunion "ith the angels, #o$0s ministering spirits' An$ "hile "e are !onsi$ering the nee$ful rea$ an$ the tree of life an$ the "is$om of #o$ an$ the !ommon nourishment of saintly men an$ angels, it is not untimely to refer to the three men re!or$e$ in #enesis "ho "ere entertaine$ y A raham an$ partoo- of three measures of fine flour of "heat -nea$e$ into em er@!a-es, an$ to o serve that this may perhaps simply e tol$ in a figurative sense' It "oul$ sho" that saints are a le upon o!!asion to impart spiritual an$ rational nourishment not only to men ut also to $ivine po"ers, either for their enefit or for the e8hi ition of their most nourishing a!(uisitions, the angels eing !heere$ an$ nourishe$ in su!h $isplay an$ e!oming the rea$ier to !ooperate in every "ay an$ hen!eforth to !onspire in the apprehension of fuller an$ greater things y the man "ho has !heere$ an$ so to say nourishe$ them "ith his store of nourishing tea!hings alrea$y a!(uire$' No "on$er that a man may nourish angels "hen even Christ avo"s himself to stan$ efore the $oor an$ -no!- in or$er that He may enter into him that opens to Him an$ sup "ith him on his fare, thereafter Himself in turn to impart His o"n to him "ho first a!!or$ing to his in$ivi$ual po"er has entertaine$ the &on of #o$' &o then the parta-er of the nee$ful rea$, having his heart !onfirme$, e!omes a son of #o$ "hereas he that has portion in the serpent is none other than a spiritual Ethiopian an$ himself in turn !hanges into a sna-e y reason of the serpent0s toils so that, even shoul$ he e8press a

$esire for aptism, he is reproa!he$ y the )or$ an$ hears it sai$3 &na-es, offspring of vipers, "ho hath prompte$ you to flee from the !oming "rath. An$ Davi$ spea-s of the serpent o$y eing fe$ on y Ethiopians3 Thou has shattere$ the hea$s of the serpents in the "ater, you hast !rushe$ the serpent0s hea$, you hast given him to e foo$ for the Ethiopian peoples' If it is not a sur$ to suppose that, sin!e the &on of #o$ an$ also the A$versary are of essential su stan!es, either of them may e!ome nourishment to this soul or that, "hy nee$ "e hesitate in the !ase of all po"ers, etter an$ "orse, in!lu$ing human eings, to elieve that ea!h one of us may $erive nourishment from any of them. As Peter "as a out to !ommune "ith the !enturion Cornelius an$ those "ho met together "ith him in Caesarea, an$ thereafter to impart the "or$s of #o$ to the #entiles also, he sa", the vessel let $o"n from heaven y four !orners, in "hi!h "ere all manner of (ua$rupe$s an$ reptiles an$ easts of the earth, "hereupon he "as also i$$en rise up an$ stay an$ eat, an$ after he ha$ sai$ in $epre!ation3 Thou -no"est that nothing !ommon or un!lean hath ever entere$ my mouth, he "as !omman$e$ to !all no man !ommon or un!lean e!ause "hat #o$ ha$ ma$e !lean ought not to e ma$e !ommon y Peter/ in the "or$s of the passage, "hat things #o$ hath ma$e !lean ma-e not you !ommon' A!!or$ingly the !lean an$ un!lean foo$ $istinguishe$ a!!or$ing to the la" of 6oses in terms of various animals ear an analogy to the $iffering !hara!ters of rational eings an$ tea!hes that some are nourishing for us ut others the reverse until #o$ has !leanse$ an$ ma$e all, or those from every ra!e, nourishing' 2ut "hile that is in$ee$ so an$ "hile there is su!h $iversity among foo$s, the nee$ful rea$, for "hi!h "e ought to pray in or$er to e !ounte$ "orthy of it, an$, eing nourishe$ y the )or$ that "as #o$ "ith #o$ in the eginning to e ma$e $ivine #o$, is one an$ trans!en$s all the foo$s mentione$' 2ut it "ill e sai$ that the "or$ epiousion, nee$ful, is forme$ from epienai, to go on, so that "e are i$$en to as- for the rea$ proper to the !oming age, in or$er that #o$ may ta-e it in a$van!e an$ esto" it on us no"' Thus "hat "as to e given as it "ere tomorro" "oul$ e given us to$ay, to$ay eing ta-en to mean the present age, tomorro" the !oming' &in!e, ho"ever, as far as I !an 7u$ge, the pre!e$ing interpretation is etter, let us go on to !onsi$er the a$$e$ referen!e to to$ay in 6atthe" or the e8pression $aily "ritten in +u-e' To !all the "hole present age to$ay is a usage fre(uent in the &!riptures, as in the passages3 He is father of the 6oa ites until to$ay, an$ He is father of the Ammonites until to$ay, an$ this a!!ount has een reporte$ among %e"s until to$ay, an$ in the Psalms, To$ay if you hear His voi!e har$en not your hearts' In %oshua, this is e8presse$ very !learly3 Turn not a"ay from the +or$ in the $ays of to$ay' An$ if to$ay means the "hole present age, yester$ay is pro a ly the ygone age' That I have un$erstoo$ to e its meaning in Psalms an$ in Paul in the Epistle to He re"s' In Psalms it is thus3 A thousan$ years are in thine eyes as a yester$ay that ha$ passe$ * "hatever the mu!h tal-e$ of millennium means, it is li-ene$ to yester$ay as oppose$ to

to$ay/ an$ in the apostle it is "ritten, %esus Christ is the same yester$ay an$ to$ay an$ unto the ages' No "on$er that the "hole of an age !ounts "ith #o$ as the spa!e of a single $ay "ith us, aye an$ less as I thin-' )e may also !onsi$er "hether the a!!ounts of feasts or assem lies re!or$e$ in terms of $ays or months or seasons or years have sym oli!al referen!es to ages' ,or if the la" !ontains a sha$o" of !oming things, its many &a aths must e a sha$o" of many $ays an$ its moons !ome roun$ in the !ourse of intervals of time, !omplete$ y some manner of a moon0s !on7un!tion "ith some sun' An$ if a first month an$ tenth till fourteenth $ay an$ a feast of unleavene$ rea$ from fourteenth till t"enty@first !ontain a sha$o" of !oming things, "ho is "ise an$ to su!h a $egree #o$0s frien$ as to have vision of the first among many months an$ its tenth $ay an$ so on. )hat nee$ I say of that feast of seven "ee-s of $ays, an$ of that seventh month "hose ne" moon is a $ay of trumpets an$ on "hose tenth $ay falls a $ay of atonement, "hi!h are -no"n to #o$ alone "ho has ena!te$ them. )ho has to su!h a $egree re!eive$ the min$ of Christ as to interpret those seventh years of free$om for He re" $omesti! slaves an$ of remission of $e ts an$ of !essation from tillage of the holy lan$. An$ over an$ a ove the feast of every seven years there is yet another year, the so@ !alle$ %u ilee, !learly to imagine "hose nature even partially, or the true la"s to e fulfille$ in it, is for no one save Him "ho has !ontemplate$ the ,ather0s !ounsel in referen!e to the or$er in all the ages a!!or$ing to His unsear!ha le 7u$gments an$ His univestiga le "ays' In trying to re!on!ile t"o apostoli! passages it has often o!!urre$ to me to raise the (uestion ho" there !an e !onsummation of ages at "hi!h %esus has een manifeste$ on!e for all unto a olition of sins if there are going to e ages follo"ing after this' The Apostles0 passages are as follo"s3 In the Epistle to He re"s, ut no" at a !onsummation of the ages He hath een manifeste$ on!e for all unto a olition of sins through His sa!rifi!e/ ut in the Epistle to Ephesians, in or$er that He may sho" forth, in the years follo"ing, the e8!ee$ing ri!hes of His #ra!e in -in$ness to"ar$ us' )ell, in !on7e!ture as to matters so great, I elieve that, 7ust as the year0s !onsummation is it0s last month after "hi!h arises another month0s eginning, so pro a ly the present age is a !onsummation of numerous ages !ompleting as it "ere a year of ages, an$ after it !ertain !oming ages "ill arise "hose eginning is the !oming age, an$ in those !oming ages #o$ shall sho" forth the ri!hes of His #ra!e in -in$ness, "hen the greatest sinner, "ho for having spo-en ill against the Holy &pirit is hel$ fast y his sin throughout the present age an$ the !oming one from eginning to en$, shall after that, I -no" not ho", re!eive a $ispensation' )hen a man has ha$ vision of these things an$ has given thought to a "ee- of ages "ith intent to !ontemplate a -in$ of holy sa ath * -eeping an$ a month of ages to see #o$0s holy ne" moon, an$ a year of ages to survey the feasts of the year "hen every male must appear efore the +or$ #o$, an$ the !orrespon$ing years of so many ages to $is!ern the seventh holy year, an$ seven "ee-ly years of ages to sing a hymn to the Ena!tor of +a"s so great, ho" !an he after su!h !onsi$eration !avil over "hat is the merest fra!tion of an hour in the $ay of su!h an age, instea$ of $oing everything to e!ome, through his preparation here, "orthy of o taining the nee$ful rea$ an$ to

re!eive it "hile it is to$ay an$ $aily, "hat $aily means eing alrea$y !lear from the foregoing e8planations' ,or he "ho prays to$ay to #o$, "ho is from infiniti to infiniti, not only for to$ay ut also in a sense for that "hi!h is $aily shall e ena le$ to re!eive from Him "ho hath po"er to esto" e8!ee$ingly a ove "hat "e as- or thin- even things * to use e8treme language * "hi!h trans!en$ those that eye hath not seen an$ ear hath not hear$ an$ that have not gone up into the heart of man' These !onsi$erations seem to me to have een very ne!essary for the un$erstan$ing of oth the e8pressions to$ay an$ $aily "hen "e are praying that the nee$ful rea$ e given us from His ,ather CHAPTER KBIII AND ,OR#IBE U& OUR DE2T& A& )E A+&O HABE ,OR#IBEN OUR DE2TOR& An$ forgive us our De ts as "e also have forgiven our De tors, or as +u-e has it, An$ forgive us our &ins, for "e also ourselves forgive everyone in De t to us' Con!erning $e ts the Apostle also says3 Pay your $e ts to all * to "hom you o"e tri ute, tri ute, to "hom fear, fear, to "hom ta8es, ta8es, to "hom honor, honor3 o"e no man anything save mutual love' )e o"e therefore in having !ertain $uties not only in giving ut also in -in$ spee!h an$ !orrespon$ing a!tions, an$ in$ee$ "e o"e a !ertain $isposition to"ar$s one another' O"ing these things, "e either pay them through $is!harging the !omman$s of the $ivine la", or failing to pay them, in !ontempt of the salutary "or$, "e remain in $e t' The li-e refle!tion applies to $e ts to"ar$ rothers, to those "ho in the religious sense have een orn again "ith us in Christ, as "ell as to those "ho have a !ommon mother or father "ith us' )e also have a !ertain $e t to"ar$ fello" !iti:ens, an$ another to"ar$ all men in !ommon, in parti!ular to"ar$ guests an$ to"ar$ men at the age of fatherhoo$, an$ another to"ar$ su!h as it is right that "e shoul$ honor as sons or as rothers' He, therefore, "ho $oes not $o "hat is a $e t to e $is!harge$ to rothers remains a $e tor for "hat he has not $one' &o, too, shoul$ "e fail in "hat falls, at the prompting of the !harita le spirit of "is$om, to human eings also at our han$s, our in$e te$ness e!omes the greater' In$ee$, "e also have $e t in personal !on!erns * to use the o$y in a !ertain "ay, so as not to "ear out the flesh of the o$y through love of pleasure, an$ on the other han$ to treat the soul "ith a !ertain !are, an$ to ta-e forethought for the -eenness of the min$, an$ for our spee!h that it e "ithout sting an$ helpful an$ not trifling' )henever "e fail to perform "hat "e o"e, even to ourselves, the heavier $oes our $e t e!ome' 2esi$es all these, eing a ove all a !reation an$ formation of #o$, "e o"e it to preserve a !ertain $isposition to"ar$s Him "ith love that is from a "hole heart an$ from a "hole strength an$ from a "hole min$, an$ if "e fail to a!hieve this "e remain #o$0s $e tors, sinning against the +or$' An$ "ho in that !ase shall pray for us. ,or if a man sinning sin against a man, then shall they pray for him3 ut if he sin against the +or$, "ho shall

pray for him. as Eli says in the first oo- of ;ings' 6oreover, "e are $e tors to Christ "ho ought us "ith His o"n loo$, 7ust as every house slave is also $e tor to his pur!haser for the sum of money given for him' )e have also a !ertain in$e te$ness to the Holy &pirit3 "e are paying it "hen "e $o not grieve Him in "hom "e "ere seale$ unto a $ay of re$emption, an$ "hen, "ithout grieving Him, "e ear the fruits $eman$e$ of us, He eing present "ith us an$ (ui!-ening our soul' An$ even though "e $o not -no" pre!isely "hi!h is our in$ivi$ual angel that loo-s upon the fa!e of the ,ather in heaven, it is at least manifest to ea!h of us upon refle!tion that "e are $e tors to him also for !ertain things' An$ inasmu!h as "e are in a "orl$ theater oth of angels an$ of men, one must -no" that as the performer in a theater o"es it to say or $o !ertain things in sight of the spe!tators, an$ if he fails to perform this is punishe$ as having insulte$ the "hole theater, so "e, too, o"e to the "hole "orl$, to all the angels an$ the ra!e of men ali-e, those things "hi!h, if "e have the "ill, "e shall learn of "is$om' Apart from those more general $e ts, there is a !ertain in$e te$ness to a "i$o" "ho is eing provi$e$ for y the !hur!h, a se!on$ to a $ea!on, another to an el$er, "hile that to a ishop is heaviest of all * eing $eman$e$ y the &avior of the "hole !hur!h an$ avenge$ if not pai$' As alrea$y sai$, the Apostle mentions a !ertain !ommon $e t et"een hus an$ an$ "ife, "hen he says3 +et the hus an$ pay his in$e te$ness to the "ife an$ "ife li-e"ise to the hus an$, an$ !ontinues Deprive not one another' 2ut "hat nee$ is there, "hen rea$ers of this "riting sele!t their o"n e8amples from the re!or$, for me to spea- of all the things "e o"e "hi!h "e either fail to pay an$ so !ome to e restraine$ or else pay an$ !ome to e free. &uffi!e it to say that it is impossi le "hile in this life to e "ithout $e t at any hour of night or $ay' In o"ing, a man either pays or else "ithhol$s the in$e te$ness' He may either pay or "ithhol$ in this life' &ome in$ee$ o"e no man anything/ others pay off most an$ o"e little/ others pay little an$ o"e more/ an$ a man may !on!eiva ly pay nothing an$ o"e everything' An$ esi$es, he "ho pays all so as to o"e nothing may at sometimes effe!t his o 7e!t if he prays for forgiveness for previous in$e te$ness, inasmu!h as su!h forgiveness may reasona ly e thought o taina le y one "ho has for sometime ma$e it his am ition to rea!h the position of having no o ligation unpai$ an$ thus o"ing nothing' Our very a!tivities in transgression leave their impression "ithin our min$ an$ e!ome the in$i!tment against us on "hi!h "e shall e rought to trial "hen, as it "ere, the oo-s that have een in$i!te$ y us all shall e rought forth, in the time "hen "e shall all stan$ efore the 7u$gment seat of Christ that ea!h may re!eive "hat he has earne$ through the o$y a!!or$ing to his !on$u!t "hether goo$ or a$' It is also in referen!e to su!h in$e te$ness that it is sai$ in the Prover s3 #ive not yourself in !ertainty to your shame, for if the man shall not have a ility to pay, they shall ta-e your e$ that is un$er you' 2ut if "e o"e to so many, it is !ertain that men o"e to us also' &ome o"e to us as to human eings, others as to fello" !iti:ens, others as to fathers, some as to sons, yet others as "ives to hus an$s or as frien$s to frien$s'

)henever, a!!or$ingly, any of our very numerous $e tors have ehave$ too remiss in the matter of payment of there $ues to us, our more !harita le !ourse "ill e to ear them no gru$ge an$ to remem er our o"n in$e te$ness an$ ho" often "e have faile$ to $is!harge them not only to"ar$s men ut also to"ar$s #o$ himself' Remem ering "hat as $e tors "e have not pai$ ut "ithhel$ $uring the time "hi!h it "as our $uty to have $one this or that for our neigh or ha$ run y, "e shall e gentler to"ar$ those "ho have fallen in $e t to us in turn an$ have not pai$ their in$e te$ness, espe!ially if "e $o not forget our transgressions against the Divine an$ the unrighteousness "e have spo-en against the Height either in ignoran!e of the truth or else in $ispleasure at the misfortunes that have efallen us' 2ut if "e refuse to e!ome gentler to"ar$s those "ho have fallen in $e t to us, our e8perien!e "ill e that of him "ho $i$ not remit the hun$re$ shillings to his fello" servant an$ of "hom, a!!or$ing to the para le set $o"n in the gospel, though alrea$y par$one$, the master e8a!ts in severity "hat ha$ alrea$y een remitte$, saying to him3 )i!-e$ servant an$ slothful, "as it not right for you to pity your fello" servant as I also pitie$ you. Cast him into prison until he pay all that is o"e$' An$ the +or$ !ontinues3 &o shall the heavenly ,ather $o to you also if you forgive not ea!h his rother from your hearts' It is ho"ever on profession of peniten!e that "e are to forgive those "ho have sinne$ against us, even though our $e tor often $oes so/ for He says3 If your rother sin against you seven times a $ay an$ seven times turn an$ say, 4I repent5, you shall forgive him' It is not "e "ho are harsh to"ar$s the impenitent, ut they "ho are "i!-e$ to themselves, for he that spurns instru!tion hates himself' 1et even in su!h !ases "e shoul$ see- in every "ay that healing arise "ithin him "ho is so !ompletely perverte$ as not even to e !ons!ious of his o"n ills ut to e $run-en "ith a $run-enness more fatal than from "ine, from the $ar-ening of evil' )hen +u-e says ,orgive us our &ins he means the same as 6atthe", sin!e sins are !onstitute$ "hen "e o"e an$ $o not pay, though he $oes not appear to len$ support to him "ho "oul$ forgive only penitent $e tors "hen he says that it is ena!te$ y the &avior that "e ought in prayer to a$$3 for "e ourselves also forgive everyone in $e t to us' An$ it "oul$ seem that "e have all authority to forgive the sins that have een !ommitte$ against us as is !lear from oth !lauses3 as "e also have forgiven our $e tors/ an$ for "e ourselves also forgive everyone in $e t to us' 2ut it is "hen a man is inspire$ y %esus as "ere the apostles, "hen he !an e -no"n from his fruits to have re!eive$ the &pirit that is Holy an$ to have e!ome spiritual through eing le$ y the &pirit after the manner of a &on of #o$ unto every reasona le $uty, that he forgives "hatsoever #o$ has forgiven an$ hol$s those sins that are irreme$ia le, an$ as the prophets serve$ #o$ in spea-ing not their o"n message ut that of the $ivine )ill, so he too serves the #o$ "ho alone has authority to forgive' In the #ospel a!!or$ing to %ohn the language referring to the forgiveness e8er!ise$ y the apostles runs thus3 Re!eive the Holy &pirit3 "hosoever0s sins you forgive, they are forgiven unto them3 "hosoever0s you hol$, they are hel$' Anyone ta-ing these "or$s "ithout $is!rimination might lame the apostles for not forgiving all men in or$er that

all might e forgiven ut hol$ing the sins of some so that they are hel$ "ith #o$ also on their a!!ount' It is helpful to ta-e an e8ample from the +a" "ith a vie" to un$erstan$ #o$0s forgiveness of sins through men' +egal priests are prohi ite$ from offering sa!rifi!e for !ertain sins in or$er that the persons for "hom the sa!rifi!es are ma$e may have their mis$ee$s forgiven/ an$ though the priest has authority to ma-e offerings for !ertain involuntary or "illful mis$ee$s, he of !ourse $oes not presume to offer a sa!rifi!e for sin in !ases of a$ultery or "illful mur$er or any other more serious offen!e' &o, too, the apostles, an$ those "ho have e!ome li-e apostles, eing priests a!!or$ing to the #reat High Priest an$ having re!eive$ -no"le$ge of the servi!e of #o$, -no" un$er the &pirit0s tea!hing for "hi!h sins, an$ "hen, an$ ho" they ought to offer sa!rifi!es, an$ re!ogni:e for "hi!h they ought not to $o so' Thus Eli the priest, -no"ing that his sons Hophni an$ Phineahas are sinners, "ith a sense of his ina ility to !ooperate "ith them for forgiveness of sins, !onfesses his $espair of su!h a result in his "or$s3 If a man sins against a man, then shall they pray for him, ut if he sin against the +or$, "ho shall pray for him. I -no" not ho" it is, ut there are some "ho have ta-en upon themselves "hat is eyon$ priestly $ignity, perhaps through utter la!- of a!!urate priestly -no"le$ge, an$ are prou$ of their a ility to par$on even a!ts of i$olatry an$ to forgive a!ts of a$ultery an$ forni!ation, !laiming that even sin unto $eath is a solve$ through their prayer for those "ho have $are$ to !ommit su!h' They $o not rea$ the "or$s3 There is sin unto $eath/ not for it $o I say that a man shoul$ as-' Nor shoul$ "e omit to mention the resolute %o 0s offering of sa!rifi!e for his sons, "ith the "or$s3 Perhaps my sons have ha$ evil thoughts in their min$s to"ar$ #o$' Though the sinful thoughts are $ou tful an$ at "orst have not rea!he$ the lips, he offers his sa!rifi!e for them CHAPTER KIK AND 2RIN# U& NOT INTO TE6PTATION 2UT DE+IBER U& ,RO6 EBI+ An$ ring us not into Temptation ut $eliver us from Evil' In +u-e the "or$s ut $eliver us from Evil are omitte$' Assuming that the &avior $oes not !omman$ us to pray for the impossi le, it appears to me to $eserve !onsi$eration in "hat sense "e are i$$en to pray not to enter into temptation "hen all human life on earth is a test' In that on earth "e are eset y the flesh "hi!h "ars against the spirit an$ "hose intent is emnity to #o$ as it is y no means !apa le of eing su 7e!t to the la" of #o$, "e are in temptation' That all human life on earth is a trial "e have learne$ from %o in the "or$s3 Is not the life of men on earth a trial, an$ the same thing is ma$e plain from the seventeenth psalm in the "or$s3 In you "ill I e $elivere$ from trial' Paul, too, "riting to the Corinthians says that #o$ esto"s not free$om from temptation ut free$om from temptation eyon$ one0s po"er'

6ore than human temptation has not possesse$ you, an$ #o$ is to e truste$ not to let you e tempte$ eyon$ your po"er ut to ma-e the temptation e a!!ompanie$ y the outlet of po"er to en$ure it' )hether our "restling is "ith the flesh that lusts or "ars against the spirit, or "ith the soul of all flesh * in other "or$s the ruling fa!ulty, !alle$ the heart, of the o$y in "hi!h it resi$es * as is the "restling of those "ho are tempte$ "ith human temptations, or, as a$van!e$ an$ maturer athletes, "ho no longer "restle "ith loo$ an$ flesh nor are revie"e$ in the human temptations "hi!h they have alrea$y trample$ $o"n, our struggles are "ith the prin!ipalities an$ authorities an$ "orl$@rulers of His $ar-ness an$ the &piritual for!es of evil, "e have no release from temptation' In "hat sense then $oes the &avior i$ us pray not to enter into temptation, "hen #o$ in some sense tempts all men. Thin- you, says %u$ith, not only to the el$ers of that $ay ut also to all rea$ers of her "riting, of all that He $i$ "ith A raham an$ all His temptations of Isaa! an$ all that efell %a!o in 6esopotania of &yria "hile he shepher$e$ the flo!-s of +a an, his mother0s rother' ,or it is not that "hereas He teste$ them y fire for the proving of their hearts, the +or$ "ho, for their a$monishment, s!ourges those "ho approa!h Him, no" "rea-s vengean!e upon us' An$ Davi$ $e!lares as a general truth !on!erning all righteous men that 6any are the affli!tions of the righteous, "hile in the a!ts the Apostle says3 e!ause it is through many affli!tions that "e must enter into the -ing$om of #o$' An$ if "e faile$ to un$erstan$ "hat es!apes most men in referen!e to prayer that "e enter not into temptation, "e "oul$ at this point say that the apostles "ere not hear$ in their prayers sin!e throughout their "hole time they en$ure$ !ountless sufferings3 in toils more a un$antly, in lo"s more a un$antly, in prisons a ove measure, in $eaths often, "hile Paul in parti!ular3 five times re!eive$ forty stripes save one at the han$s of %e"s, thri!e "as eaten "ith ro$s, on!e "as stone$, thri!e "as ship"re!-e$, passe$ a night an$ a $ay in the $eep, a man in every "ay affli!te$, in straits, perse!ute$, !ast $o"n, !onfessing3 Until the present hour "e have hungere$, thirste$, gone na-e$, een uffete$, la!-e$ rest, toile$ at "or- "ith our o"n han$s' Revile$, "e have lesse$/ perse!ute$, "e have orne up/ slan$ere$, "e have e8horte$' )hen the apostles have faile$ in prayer, "e might as- "hat hope there is for any of their inferiors to o tain #o$0s hearing "hen one prays. One ignorant of the true meaning of the &avior0s !omman$ "ill have reason to suppose that the "or$s in the t"enty@fifth psalm, Test me, O +or$, an$ try me/ assay my reins an$ my heart "ith fire, are in opposition to our +or$0s tea!hing a out prayer' An$ "hen has anyone ever elieve$ that those of "hom he ha$ !omplete -no"le$ge "ere free of temptations. An$ "hat time !an e !on!eive$ $uring "hi!h a man !oul$ e lighthearte$ as though he $i$ not struggle to avoi$ sinning. Is a man poor. +et him e"are lest one $ay he steal an$ fors"ear y the name of #o$' Again, is he ri!h. +et him not e lighthearte$, for he may e!ome !ompletely false an$ say in e8altation, 4)ho sees me.5 Even Paul, for all his ri!hes, in all manner of $is!ourse an$ in all manner of -no"le$ge, is not release$ from the $anger of sinning on their a!!ount through e8!essive e8altation, ut nee$s a sta-e of &atan to uffet him in or$er that he may not e e8!essively e8alte$' Even though a man may have a !omparatively goo$ !ons!ien!e an$ fly up in alarm from

things evil, let him rea$ "hat is sai$ in the se!on$ oo- of the Chroni!les of He:e-iah, "ho is sai$ to have fallen from the elevation of his heart' An$ if, e!ause I have not $"elt on the !ase of the poor, someone is lighthearte$ * as though poverty involve$ no temptation * he must -no" that the Plotter plots to !ast $o"n the nee$y an$ the poor, espe!ially sin!e a!!or$ing to &olomon, the nee$y en$ure no threats' An$ "hat nee$ is there to tell ho" many, e!ause of their material ri!hes "hi!h they ha$ faile$ to manage rightly, have foun$ a pla!e in punishment along "ith the ri!h man in the #ospel. An$ ho" many, e!ause they ore poverty igno ly, "ith ehavior more servile an$ ase than "as seemly in &aints, have fallen a"ay from their heavenly hope. Even they "ho are mi$"ay et"een these e8tremes of ri!hes an$ poverty are not y any means release$ from sinning a!!or$ing to their possession, mo$erate though it e' Again, one "ho is in o$ily health an$ "ell eing imagines that y virtue of his mere health an$ "ell eing he is outsi$e of all temptation' An$ yet, "hose sin it is, apart from those in "ell eing an$ in health, to !orrupt the temple of #o$, no one "ill venture to say e!ause the meaning of the passage is !lear to everyone' An$ "ho in si!-ness has es!ape$ the in!itements to !orrupt the temple of #o$, having leisure at su!h time an$ rea$ily a$mitting thoughts of un!lean things, not to spea- of all the others things esi$e these "hi!h trou le him unless he guar$s his heart "ith all vigilan!e. 6any a man, over!ome y trou les an$ in!apa le of earing si!-ness manfully, has een sho"n to e suffering at the time from si!-ness rather of the soul than of the o$y, an$ many another, ashame$ to ear the name of Christ no ly, has, through shunning $isrepute, fallen into eternal shame' Again, a man may thin- that he has respite from temptation "hen he is in honor among men' 1et is not the +or$0s saying, They have their re"ar$ from men, pro!laime$ to those "ho are elate$ over their popularity. Do not the "or$s stri-e $ismay3 Ho" !an you have !ome to elieve, "hen you have re!eive$ glory from one another, an$ see- not the glory "hi!h is from #o$ alone. An$ "hat nee$ is there for me to re!ount the !rimes $one in pri$e y the repute$ no le, an$ the fa"ning su mission of the so@!alle$ lo" orn to"ar$s the repute$ no le y reason of their ignoran!e, a su mission "hi!h separates from #o$ men "ho are $evoi$ of genuine frien$liness ut feign that fairest of human possessions * love' The "hole life of man on earth is therefore a trial, as has alrea$y een sai$' +et us for that reason pray for $eliveran!e from trial not through eing e8empt from it * that is an utter impossi ility for eings on earth * ut through not su!!um ing un$er it' It is "hen a man su!!um s in the moment of tempting, I ta-e it, that he enters into temptation, eing hel$ in its nets' Into those nets the &avior entere$ for the sa-e of those "ho ha$ alrea$y een !aught in them, an$ in the "or$s of the &ong of &ongs, loo-ing out through the mesh"or- ma-es ans"er to those "ho have een alrea$y !aught y them an$ have entere$ into temptation, an$ says to those "ho form His ri$e3 Arise, my $ear one, my fair one, my $ove' To ring home the fa!t that every time is one of temptation on earth, I "ill a$$ that even he "ho me$itates upon the la" of #o$ $ay an$ night an$ ma-es a pra!ti!e of !arrying out the saying, A righteous man0s mouth shall me$itate on "is$om, has no release from eing tempte$' Ho" many in their $evotion to

the e8amination of the $ivine &!riptures have, through misun$erstan$ing the messages !ontaine$ in +a" an$ Prophets, $evote$ themselves to go$less an$ impious or to foolish an$ ri$i!ulous opinions. )hat nee$ is there for me to ans"er, "hen there are !ountless e8amples of su!h mista-es among those "ho $o not seem to e open to the !harge of righteousness in their rea$ing. The same fate has also overta-en many in their rea$ing of the Apostles an$ #ospels inasmu!h as, through their o"n la!- of $is!ernment, they fashion in imagination a &on or a ,ather other than the One $ivinely !on!eive$ an$ truly re!ogni:e$ y Holy )rit' ,or one "ho fails to have true thoughts of #o$ or His Christ has fallen a"ay from the true #o$ an$ from His Only 2egotten, an$ his "orship of the imaginary ,ather an$ &on, fashione$ y his la!- of $is!ernment, is no real "orship' &u!h is his fate through having faile$ to re!ogni:e the temptation present in the rea$ing of Holy )rit to arm himself an$ ta-e a stan$ as for a struggle alrea$y upon him' )e ought therefore to pray, not that "e e not tempte$ * that is impossi le * ut that "e e not en!ompasse$ y temptation, the fate of those "ho are open to it an$ are over!ome' No" sin!e, outsi$e of the +or$0s Prayer, it is "ritten Pray that you enter not into temptation, the for!e of "hi!h may perhaps e !lear from "hat has alrea$y een sai$, "hereas in the +or$0s prayer "e ought to say to #o$ our ,ather, 2ring us not into Temptation, it is "orth seeing in "hat sense "e ought to thin- of #o$ as lea$ing one "ho $oes not pray or is not hear$ into temptation' If entering into temptation means eing over!ome, it is manifestly out of the (uestion to thin- that #o$ lea$s anyone into temptation as though He $elivere$ him to e over!ome' The same $iffi!ulty a"aits one no matter in "hat sense one may interpret the "or$s Pray that you enter not into temptation, for if it is an evil to fall into temptation, "hi!h "e pray may not e our fate, must it not e out of pla!e to thin- of the #oo$ #o$, "ho is in!apa le of earing evil fruits, as en!ompassing anyone "ith evils. It is of servi!e to !ite in this !onne!tion "hat Paul has sai$ in the Epistle to Romans * thus3 Claiming to e "ise they e!ame foolish an$ !hange$ the glory of the in!orrupti le #o$ into the li-eness of an image of !orrupti le man an$ of "inge$ an$ four foote$ an$ !reeping things' )herefore #o$ $elivere$ them in the lusts of their hearts unto un!leanness to the $ishonoring of their o$ies among themselves/ an$ shortly after3 Therefore #o$ $elivere$ them unto passions of $ishonor3 for oth their females !hange$ the natural use into the unnatural, an$ the males li-e"ise setting asi$e the natural use of the female, "ere !onsume$''' an$ so on' An$ again shortly after3 An$ as they prove$ not to have #o$ in full -no"le$ge, #o$ $elivere$ them unto a repro ate min$ to $o the unseemly' )e may simply !onfront $ivi$ers of the #o$hea$ "ith all these passages an$ put these (uestions to them sin!e they hol$ that the goo$ ,ather of Our +or$ is $istin!t from the #o$ of the la"' Is it the goo$ #o$ "ho lea$s into temptation one "ho fails in prayer. Is it the ,ather of the +or$ "ho $elivers in the lusts of their hearts those "ho have alrea$y $one some sin unto un!leanness to the $ishonoring of their o$ies among themselves.

Is it He "ho, as they themselves say, is free from 7u$ging an$ punishing, "ho $elivers unto passions of $ishonor an$ unto a repro ate min$ to $o the unseemly men "ho "oul$ not have fallen into the lusts of their hearts ha$ they not een $elivere$ to them y #o$, "ho "oul$ not have su!!um e$ to passions of $ishonor ha$ they not een $elivere$ to them y #o$, an$ "ho "oul$ not have lapse$ into a repro ate min$ ut for the fa!t that the so !on$emne$ ha$ een $elivere$ to it y #o$' I am "ell a"are that these passages "ill trou le su!h thin-ers e8!ee$ingly' In$ee$ they have fashione$ in imagination a #o$ other than the 6a-er of heaven an$ earth, e!ause they fin$ many su!h passages in the +a" an$ the Prophets an$ have een offen$e$ y the author of su!h utteran!es as not goo$' 2ut I on my part, for the sa-e of that (uestion, raise$ in !onne!tion "ith the "or$s 2ring us not into Temptation, "hi!h le$ to my !itation of the apostle0s "or$s also, must no" !onsi$er "hether I in turn fin$ a solution of apparent !ontra$i!tions "orth !onsi$ering' )ell, it is my elief that #o$ rules over ea!h rational soul, having regar$ to its everlasting life, in su!h a "ay that it is al"ays in possession of free "ill an$ is itself responsi le ali-e for eing, in the etter "ay, in progress to"ar$s the perfe!tion of goo$ness, or other"ise for $es!en$ing as the result of hee$lessness to this or that $egree of aggravation of vi!e' A!!or$ingly, sin!e a s"ift an$ some"hat short !ure gives rise in some men to a !ontempt for the $isease into "hi!h they have fallen, "ith the possi le result of their in!urring it a se!on$ time, He "ill in su!h other !ases "ith goo$ reason allo" the vi!e to in!rease to a !ertain e8tent, suffering it even to e aggravate$ in them to the verge of in!ura leness, in or$er that they may e sate$ through long !ontinuan!e in the evil an$ through surfeit of the sin for "hi!h they lust, an$ may e rought to a sense of their in7ury, an$, having learne$ to hate "hat formerly they "el!ome$, may e ena le$ "hen !ure$ to en7oy more stea$fastly the health "hi!h their !ure has rought to their souls' &o it "as that the mi8e$ throng among the Chil$ren of Israel, on!e fell into lust' &itting $o"n they an$ the Chil$ren of Israel !rie$ out saying, 4)ho "ill give us flesh to eat. )e remem er the fish "e use$ to eat freely in Egypt, an$ the !u!um ers an$ melons an$ lee-s an$ onions an$ garli!, ut no" is our soul par!he$/ our eyes are on nothing save the manna5' Then, shortly after, it is sai$3 An$ 6oses hear$ them !rying in their tri es/ ea!h "as at his $oor' An$ again shortly after the +or$ says to 6oses3 An$ you shall say to the people, 4&an!tify yourselves for the morro", an$ eat flesh, e!ause you have !rie$ efore the +or$ saying, 9)ho "ill give us flesh to eat, e!ause it "as "ell "ith us in Egypt,0 an$ the +or$ shall give you flesh to eat' &o eat fleshD Eat it not one nor t"o nor five $ays, not ten nor t"enty $ays/ for a month of $ays eat till it issue from your nostrils, an$ it shall ma-e you ill, e!ause you have $iso eye$ the +or$ "ho is among you, an$ have !rie$ efore Him, 9)herefore have "e left Egypt.05 +et us therefore see "hether the narrative I have lai$ efore you as a parallel is of help to"ar$s a solution of the apparent !ontra$i!tion in the !lause 2ring us not into temptation an$ in the "or$s of the apostle' Having fallen into lust, the mi8e$ throng among the Chil$ren of Israel !rie$ an$ the Chil$ren of Israel "ith them' Plainly so long as they "ere "ithout the o 7e!ts of their lust, they "ere not a le to e sate$ "ith them or !ease their passion' In fa!t, it "as the "ill of the enevolent an$ goo$ #o$, in giving them the o 7e!t of their lust, not to give it in su!h a "ay that any

lust shoul$ e left in them' ,or that reason He tells them to eat the flesh not one $ay * for ha$ they parta-en of the flesh a short time their passion "oul$ have remaine$ in their soul "hi!h "oul$ have een -in$le$ an$ set a la:e y it * nor $oes He give them the o 7e!t of their lust for t"o $ays' It eing His "ill to ma-e it e8!essive for them, He utters "hat is, to one "ho !an un$erstan$, a threat rather than a promise of their apparent gratifi!ation, saying, 4Neither shall you pass five $ays eating the flesh nor t"ofol$ those, nor yet t"ofol$ those again, ut eat flesh for a "hole mouth, until su!h time as your imagine$ goo$ shall issue from your nostrils "ith !holeri! affe!tion, an$ "ith it your !ulpa le an$ ase lust for it' &o shall I set you free from all further lust of living, that "hen you have !ome out in su!h !on$ition you may e pure from lust an$ may remem er all the trou les through "hi!h you "ere set free from it' Thus you shall e ena le$ either not to fall into it again, or, shoul$ that ever happen through forgetfulness $uring the long lapse of time of your sufferings on a!!ount of lust, if you ta-e no hee$ to yourselves an$ not appropriate the )or$ that !ompletely frees you from every passion, if you fall into evil an$ at a later time, through having !ome to lust again for !reation, re(uire a se!on$ time to o tain the o 7e!ts of your lust * in hatre$ of that o 7e!t revert again to the goo$ an$ heavenly nourishment through $espising that "hi!h you longe$ for the most5' The li-e fate, a!!or$ingly, "ill overta-e those "ho have !hange$ the glory of the in!orrupti le #o$ into the li-eness of an image of !orrupti le man an$ of "inge$ an$ four@foote$ an$ !reeping things, an$ "ho are forsa-en of #o$ an$ there y $elivere$ in the lusts of their hearts unto un!leanness to the $ishonoring of their o$ies as men "ho have rought $o"n to soulless insensi le matter the name of Him "ho has esto"e$ upon all sentient rational eings not only sense ut even rational sense, an$ to some in$ee$ a !omplete an$ e8!ellent sense an$ intelligen!e' &u!h men are reasona ly $elivere$ to passion of $ishonor y the #o$ "hom they have forsa-en, eing forsa-en y Him in return, re!eiving the re(uital of error through "hi!h they !ame to love the it!h for pleasure' ,or it is more of a re(uital of their error for them to e $elivere$ to passions of $ishonor than to e !leanse$ y the fire of )is$om an$ to have ea!h of their $e ts e8a!te$ from them in prison to the last farthing' ,or in eing $elivere$ to passions of $ishonor "hi!h are not only natural ut many of the unnatural, they are $e ase$ an$ har$ene$ y the flesh an$ e!ome as though they ha$ no soul or intelligen!e any longer ut "ere flesh entirely, "hereas in fire an$ prison they re!eive not re(uital of their error ut enefa!tion for the !leansing of the evil !ontra!te$ in their error, along "ith salutary sufferings atten$ant in the pleasure@loving an$ are there y set free from all stain an$ loo$ in "hose $efilement an$ pollution they ha$ to their o"n un$oing een una le even to thin- of eing save$' &o their #o$ shall "ash a"ay the stain of the sons an$ $aughters of Aion an$ shall !leanse a"ay the loo$ from their mi$st "ith a spirit of 7u$gment an$ a spirit of urning3 for He !omes in as the fire of a furna!e an$ as soap, "ashing an$ !leansing those "ho are in nee$ of su!h reme$ies e!ause it has not een their !lear $esire to have

-no"le$ge of #o$' After eing $elivere$ to these reme$ies they "ill of their o"n a!!or$ hate the repro ate min$, for it is #o$0s "ill that a man a!(uire goo$ness not as un$er ne!essity ut of his o"n a!!or$' &ome, it may "ell e, "ill have ha$ $iffi!ulty in per!eiving the aseness of evil as the result of long familiarity "ith it, ut then turning a"ay from it as falsely ta-en to e goo$' Consi$er too, "hether #o$0s reason for har$ening the heart of Pharaoh also is that he may, e!ause har$ene$, e una le to say, as in fa!t he $i$, 4The +or$ is righteous, ut I an$ my people are impious5' Rather it is that he nee$s more an$ more to e har$ene$ an$ to un$ergo !ertain sufferings, in or$er that he may not, as the result of a too spee$y en$ to the har$ening, $espise har$ening as an evil an$ fre(uently again $eserve to e har$ene$' If their nets are not "rongfully stret!he$ for ir$s, a!!or$ing to the statement in the Prover s, ut #o$ rightly lea$s men into the snare, as one has sai$, 1ou le$ us into the snare, an$ if not even a sparro", !heapest of ir$s, falls into the snare "ithout the !ounsel of the ,ather, its fall into the snare eing $ue to the failure to use aright its !ontrol of its "ings given to it to soar, let us pray to $o nothing to $eserve eing rought into temptation y the righteous 7u$gment of #o$, as in the !ase "ith everyone "ho is $elivere$ y #o$ in the lusts of his o"n heart unto un!leanness, or $elivere$ unto passions of $ishonor, or as not having prove$ to have #o$ in full -no"le$ge, is $elivere$ unto a repro ate min$ to $o the unseemly' The use of temptation is some"hat as follo"s' Through temptations the !ontent of our soul, "hi!h is a se!ret to all e8!ept #o$, ourselves in!lu$e$, e!omes manifest, in or$er that it may no longer e a se!ret to us "hat manner of men "e are ut that "e may have fuller -no"le$ge of ourselves an$ reali:e, if "e !hoose, our o"n evils an$ e than-ful for the lessings manifeste$ to us through temptations' That the temptations "hi!h efall us ta-e pla!e for the revealing of our true nature or the $is!erning of "hat is hi$$en in our heart, is set forth y the +or$0s saying in %o an$ y the s!ripture in Deuteronomy, "hi!h runs thus3 Thin- you that I have uttere$ spee!h to you for any reason other than that you may e reveale$ as righteous. An$ in Deuteronomy3 He affli!te$ you an$ starve$ you an$ gave you manna to eat, an$ He le$ you a out in the "il$erness "here iting serpents an$ s!orpions an$ thirst are, that the things in your heart might e $is!erne$' An$ if "e $esire referen!es to plain history, it is matter of -no"le$ge that Eve0s rea$iness to e $e!eive$ an$ unsoun$ness of thought $i$ not originate "hen in $iso e$ien!e to #o$ she hear-ene$ to the serpent, ut ha$ alrea$y een etraye$, the reason for the serpent0s having engage$ her eing that "ith its pe!uliar "is$om it ha$ per!eive$ her "ea-ness' Nor "as it the eginning of evil in Cain "here he sle" his rother, for alrea$y the heart@ -no"ing #o$ ha$ little regar$ for Cain an$ his sa!rifi!es' It "as simply that his "i!-e$ness e!ame manifest "hen he too- A el0s life' Ha$ Noah not $run- of the "ine that he !ultivate$ an$ e!ome into8i!ate$ an$ un!overe$ himself, neither Ham0s in$is!retion an$ irreveren!e to"ar$s his father nor his rother0s reveren!e an$ mo$esty to"ar$s their parent "oul$ have een reveale$'

Though Esau0s plot against %a!o seeme$ to have provi$e$ an e8!use for his eing $eprive$ of the lessing, his soul even efore that ha$ roots of forni!ation an$ profanity' An$ "e shoul$ never have -no"n of the splen$or of %oseph0s self@!ontrol, prepare$ as he "as against falling a vi!tim to any lust, ha$ his master0s "ife not fallen in love "ith him' +et us therefore, in the intervals et"een the su!!ession of temptations, ma-e a stan$ against the impen$ing trial, an$ prepare ourselves for all possi le !ontingen!ies * in or$er that, !ome "hat may, "e may not e !onvi!te$ of unrea$iness ut may e sho"n to have ra!e$ ourselves "ith the utmost !are' ,or "hen "e have !arrie$ out all our part, the $efi!ien!y !ause$ y human "ea-ness "ill e fille$ up y #o$ "ho !ooperates for goo$ in all things "ith those "ho love Him, an$ "hose future gro"th has een foreseen a!!or$ing to His unerring -no"le$ge' In the "or$s 2ring us not into Temptation +u-e seems to me to have virtually taught Deliver us from Evil also' In any !ase it is natural that the +or$ shoul$ have a$$resse$ the riefer form to the $is!iple as he ha$ alrea$y een helpe$, ut the more e8pli!it to the many "ho "ere in nee$ of !learer tea!hing' #o$ $elivers us from Evil, not "hen the enemy $oes not engage us at all in !onfli!t through any of his o"n "iles or those of the ministers of his "ill, ut "hen "e ma-e a manful stan$ against !ontingen!ies an$ are vi!torious' In that sense I have also ta-en the "or$s3 6any are the affli!tions of the righteous3 an$ He $elivers them from them all' ,or #o$ $elivers us from affli!tions not "hen affli!tions are no more * an$ surely Paul0s e8pression in everything affli!te$ implies that affli!tion ha$ never yet !ease$ * ut "hen, y #o$0s help, un$er affli!tion "e are not straitene$' A!!or$ing to a usage native to He re"s, 9affli!tion0 $enotes misfortune that happens "ithout referen!e to a human "ill, "hereas 9straitening0 refers to the "ill over!ome y affli!tion an$ surren$ere$ to it3 hen!e Paul "ell says3 in everything affli!te$ ut not impoverishe$' An$ I !onsi$er the "or$s in Psalms In affli!tion you set me at large to e similar, for y 9setting at large0 is meant the 7oyousness an$ !heerfulness of temper "hi!h !omes to us from #o$ in the season of misfortune through the !ooperation an$ presen!e of #o$0s en!ouraging an$ saving )or$' )e are a!!or$ingly to un$erstan$ $eliveran!e from evil in the same "ay' #o$ $elivere$ %o , not through the Devil0s failure to re!eive authority to eset him "ith !ertain temptations * for he $i$ re!eive it * ut through his o"n avoi$an!e of sin in the sight of #o$ ami$st all that efell him an$ through the e8hi ition of his righteousness' Thus he "ho ha$ sai$3 Does %o revere #o$ for nothing. Have you not fen!e$ a out "ith a !ir!le his goo$s "ithout an$ his goo$s "ithin the house an$ the goo$s of all "ho are his, an$ lesse$ his "or- an$ ma$e his flo!-s an$ her$s to a oun$ on the earth. 2ut sen$ forth your han$, an$ tou!h all that he has, an$ surely he "ill !urse you to your fa!e, "as put to shame as having there y spo-en falsely against %o , for he, after all his suffering, $i$ not, as the A$versary sai$, !urse #o$ to His fa!e, ut even "hen $elivere$ to the tempter he !ontinue$ stea$fastly lessing #o$, reproving his "ife for saying &pea- you some "or$ against #o$ an$ $ie, an$ re u-ing her in the "or$s3 As one of the senseless "omen have you spo-en'

If "e have a!!epte$ the goo$ from the +or$0s han$, shall "e not en$ure the evil. An$ a se!on$ time !on!erning %o the Devil sai$ to the +or$3 &-in for s-in/ all that the man has he "ill pay for his soul' Nay ut sen$ forth your han$ an$ tou!h his ones an$ his flesh, an$ surely he "ill !urse you to your fa!e' 2ut he is over!ome y the !hampion of virtue an$ sho"n to e a liar, for %o inspite of the severest sufferings stoo$ firm !ommitting no sin "ith his lips in the sight of #o$' T"o falls $i$ %o "restle an$ !on(uer, ut no thir$ su!h struggle $i$ he un$ergo, for the threefol$ "restling ha$ to e reserve$ for the &avior, as it is re!or$e$ in the three #ospels, "hen the &avior -no"n in human form thri!e !on(uere$ the Enemy' In or$er therefore to as- of #o$ intelligently that "e enter not into temptation an$ that "e e $elivere$ from Evil, let us !onsi$er these things an$ investigate them in our o"n min$s more !arefully' Through hear-ening unto #o$ let us e!ome "orthy to e hear$ y Him, an$ let our entreaty e that "hen tempte$ "e may not e rought to $eath, an$ that "hen assaile$ y flaming $arts of evil, "e may not e set on fire y them' All "hose hearts are <as one of the T"elve Prophets says, as an em er@pan= are set on fire y them, ut not so they "ho "ith the shiel$ of faith (uen!h all the flaming $arts aime$ at them y the Evil One, sin!e they have "ithin themselves rivers of "ater springing up into life eternal "hi!h $o not let the fire of the Evil One prevail ut rea$ily un$o it "ith the floo$ of their inspire$ an$ saving thought that is impresse$ y !ontemplation of the truth upon the soul of him "hose stu$y is to e spiritual CHAPTER KK ,OR6A+ITIE& O, PRA1ER3 CONC+U&ION I thin- it not out of pla!e to a$$, y "ay of !ompleting my tas- in referen!e to prayer, a some"hat elementary $is!ussion of su!h matters as the $isposition an$ the posture that is right for one "ho prays, the pla!e "here one ought to pray, the $ire!tion to"ar$s "hi!h one ought e8!ept in any spe!ial !ir!umstan!es to loo-, an$ the time suita le an$ mar-e$ out for prayer' The seat of $isposition is to e foun$ in the soul, that of the posture in the o$y' Thus Paul, as "e o serve$ a ove, suggests the $isposition in spea-ing of the $uty of praying "ithout anger an$ $isputation an$ the posture in the "or$s lifting up holy han$s, "hi!h he seems to me to have ta-en from the Psalms "here it stan$s thus * the lifting up of my han$s as evening sa!rifi!e/ as to the pla!e I $esire therefore that men pray in every pla!e, an$ as to the $ire!tion in the )is$om of &olomon3 that it might e -no"n that it is right to go efore the sun to give than-s to you an$ to inter!e$e "ith you to"ar$s the $a"n of light' A!!or$ingly it seems to me that one "ho is a out to enter upon prayer ought first to have pause$ a"hile an$ prepare$ himself to engage in prayer throughout more earnestly an$ intently, to have !ast asi$e every $istra!tion an$ !onfusion of thought, to have ethought him to the est of his a ility of the greatness of Him "hom he is approa!hing an$ of the impiety of approa!hing Him frivolously an$ !arelessly an$, as it "ere, in !ontempt, an$ to have put a"ay everything alien'

He ought thus to enter upon prayer "ith his soul, as it "ere, e8ten$e$ efore his han$s, an$ his min$ intent on #o$ efore his eyes, an$ his intelle!t raise$ from earth an$ set to"ar$ the +or$ of All efore his o$y stan$s' +et him put a"ay all resentment against any real or imagine$ in7urer in proportion to his $esire for #o$ not to ear resentment against himself in turn for his in7uries an$ sins against many of his neigh ors or any "rong $ee$s "hatsoever upon his !ons!ien!e' Of all the innumera le $ispositions of the o$y that, a!!ompanie$ y outstret!hing of the han$s an$ upraising of the eyes, stan$ing is preferre$ * inasmu!h as one there y "ears in the o$y also the image of the $evotional !hara!teristi!s that e!ome the soul' I say that these things ought to e o serve$ y preferen!e e8!ept in any spe!ial !ir!umstan!es, for in spe!ial !ir!umstan!es, y reason of some serious foot $isease one may upon o!!asion (uite properly pray sitting, or y reason of fevers or similar illnesses, lying, an$ in$ee$ o"ing to !ir!umstan!es, if, let us say, "e are on a voyage or if our usiness $oes not permit us to retire to pay our $e t of prayer, "e may pray "ithout any out"ar$ sign of $oing so' 6oreover, one must -no" that -neeling is ne!essary "hen he is a out to arraign his personal sins against #o$ "ith suppli!ation for their healing an$ forgiveness, e!ause it is a sym ol of su mission an$ su 7e!tion' ,or Paul says/ ,or this !ause I o" my -nees unto the ,ather from "hom is all fatherhoo$ name$ in heaven an$ on earth' It may e terme$ spiritual -neeling, e!ause of the su mission an$ self@humiliation of every eing to #o$ in the name of %esus, that the apostle appears to in$i!ate in the "or$s3 that in the name of %esus every -nee shoul$ o" in heaven an$ on earth an$ un$er the earth' It shoul$ not e suppose$ that eings in heaven have o$ies so fashione$ as a!tually to possess -nees, sin!e their o$ies have een $es!ri e$ possi ly as spheri!al in form y those "ho have $is!usse$ these matters more minutely' He "ho refuses to a$mit this "ill also, unless he outrages reason, a$mit the uses of ea!h of the mem ers in or$er that nothing fashione$ for them y #o$ may e in vain' One falls into error on either han$, "hether he shall assert that o$ily mem ers have een rought into eing y #o$ for them in vain an$ not for their proper "or-, or shall say that the internal organs, the intestine in!lu$e$, perform their proper uses even in heavenly eings' E8!ee$ingly foolish "ill it e to thin- that it is only their surfa!e, as "ith statues, that is human in form an$ nothing further un$erneath' This mu!h $is!ussion "ill suffi!e, then, of -neeling an$ of seeing that3 in the name of %esus every -nee shall o" in heaven an$ on earth an$ un$er the earth' To the same effe!t, it is "ritten y the prophet3 To me every -nee shall o"' In regar$ to pla!e, it shoul$ e -no"n that every pla!e is ren$ere$ fit for prayer y one "ho prays rightly, for in every pla!e sa!rifi!e is offere$ to me''' says the +or$, an$ I $esire therefore that men pray in every pla!e' 2ut to se!ure the performan!e of one0s prayers in pea!e "ithout $istra!tion, the rule is for every man to ma-e !hoi!e, if possi le, of "hat I may term the most solemn spot in his house efore he prays, !onsi$ering in a$$ition to his general e8amination of it, "hether any violation of la" or right has not een $one in the pla!e in "hi!h he is

praying, so as to have ma$e not only himself ut also the pla!e of his personal prayer of su!h a nature that the regar$ of #o$ has fle$ from it' An$ in referen!e to this matter of pla!e, lengthy !onsi$eration lea$s me to say "hat may seem to e harsh, ut "hat, if one in(uires into it !arefully, may possi ly not invite !ontempt, namely that it is a (uestion "hether it is reverent an$ pure to inter!e$e "ith #o$ in the pla!e of that union "hi!h is not unla"ful ut is !on!e$e$ y the Apostle0s "or$ y "ay of in$ulgen!e not in7un!tion' ,or if it is not possi le to give oneself to prayer as one ought "ithout $evoting oneself to it y agreement for a season, the matter of the pla!e also may possi ly $eserve to e !onsi$ere$ if possi le' 1et there is a !ertain helpful !harm in a pla!e of prayer eing the spot in "hi!h elievers meet together' Also it may "ell e that the assem lies of elievers also are atten$e$ y angeli! po"ers, y the po"ers of our +or$ an$ &avior himself, an$ in$ee$ y the spirits of saints, in!lu$ing those alrea$y fallen asleep, !ertainly of those still in life, though 7ust ho" is not easy to say' In referen!e to angels "e may reason thus3 If an angel of the +or$ shall en!amp roun$ a out those that fear Him an$ shall $eliver them, an$ if %a!o 0s "or$s are true, not only of himself ut to all "ho have $evote$ themselves to #o$, "hen "e un$erstan$ him to say the angel "ho $elivers me from all evil''' it is natural to infer that, "hen a num er of men are genuinely met for Christ0s glory, that angel of ea!h man * "ho is roun$ a out ea!h of those that fear * "ill en!amp "ith the man "ith "hose guar$ianship an$ ste"ar$ship he has een entruste$, so that "hen saints assem le together there is a t"ofol$ !hur!h, the one of men the other of angels' An$ although it is only the prayer of To it, an$ after him of &arah "ho later e!ame his $aughter@in@la" o"ing to her marriage to To ias, that Raphael says he has offere$ up as a memorial, "hat happens "hen several are lin-e$ in one min$ an$ !onvi!tion an$ are forme$ into one o$y in Christ. In referen!e to the presen!e of the po"er of the +or$ "ith the !hur!h Paul says3 you eing gathere$ together "ith my spirit an$ "ith the po"er of the +or$ %esus, implying that the +or$ %esus0 po"er is not only "ith the Ephesians ut also "ith the Corinthians' An$ if Paul, "hile still "earing the o$y, elieve$ that he assiste$ in Corinth "ith his spirit, "e nee$ not a an$on the elief that the lesse$ $eparte$ in spirit also, perhaps more than one "ho is in the o$y, ma-e their "ay li-e"ise into the !hur!hes' ,or that reason "e ought not to $espise prayer in !hur!hes, re!ogni:ing that it possesses a spe!ial virtue for him "ho genuinely 7oins in' An$ 7ust as %esus0 po"er an$ the spirit of Paul an$ similar men, an$ the angels of the +or$ "ho en!amp roun$ a out ea!h of the saints, are asso!iate$ an$ 7oin "ith those "ho genuinely assem le themselves together, so "e may !on7e!ture that if any man e un"orthy of a holy angel an$ give himself up through sin an$ transgressions in !ontempt of #o$ to a $evil0s angel, he "ill perhaps, in the event of those li-e him eing fe", not long es!ape that provi$en!e of those angels "hi!h oversee the !hur!h y the authority of the $ivine "ill an$ "ill ring the mis$ee$s of su!h persons to general -no"le$ge/ "hereas if su!h persons e!ome numerous an$ meet as mere human so!ieties "ith usiness of the more material sort, they "ill not e overseen'

That is sho"n in Isaiah "hen the +or$ says3 neither if you shall !ome to appear efore me/ for I "ill turn a"ay my eyes from you, an$ even if you multiply your suppli!ation I "ill not pay attention' ,or in pla!e of the alrea$y mentione$ t"ofol$ !ompany of saintly men an$ lesse$ angels there may, on the other han$, e a t"ofol$ asso!iation of impious men an$ evil angels' Of su!h a !ongregation it might e sai$ ali-e y holy angels an$ y pious men3 I sat not $o"n "ith the !oun!il of vanity, an$ "ith transgressors I "ill not enter in/ I hate$ the !hur!h of evil$oers an$ "ith the impious I "ill not sit $o"n' I thin- that it "as also for su!h a reason that the people in %erusalem an$ the "hole of %u$ea, having !ome to e in a state of great sinfulness, e!ame su 7e!t to their enemies through the a an$onment y #o$ an$ the overshiel$ing angels an$ the saving "or- of saintly men * having e!ome people "ho have a an$one$ the +a"' ,or "hole gatherings are at times thus a an$one$ to fall into temptation in or$er that even that "hi!h they seem to have may e ta-en a"ay from them' +i-e the fig tree that "as !urse$ an$ ta-en a"ay from the roots e!ause it ha$ not given fruit to the hungering %esus, they "ither an$ lose any little amount they on!e ha$ of lively po"er a!!or$ing to faith' &o mu!h for "hat seem to me to have een ne!essary o servations in !onsi$ering the pla!e of prayer an$ in setting forth its spe!ial virtue in respe!t to pla!e in the !ase of the meetings of saintly men "ho !ome together reverently in !hur!hes' A fe" "or$s may no" e a$$e$ in referen!e to the $ire!tion in "hi!h one ought to loo- in prayer' Of the four $ire!tions, the North, &outh, East, an$ )est, "ho "oul$ not at on!e a$mit that the East !learly in$i!ates the $uty of praying "ith the fa!e turne$ to"ar$s it "ith the sym oli! suggestion that the soul is loo-ing upon the $a"n of the true light. &houl$ anyone, ho"ever, prefer to $ire!t his inter!essions a!!or$ing to the aperture of the house, "hi!hever "ay the $oors of the house may fa!e, saying that the sight of heaven appeals to one "ith a !ertain attra!tion greater than the vie" of the "all, an$ the east"ar$ part of the house having no opening, "e may say to him that sin!e it is y human arrangement that houses are open in this or that $ire!tion ut y nature that the East is preferre$ to all the other $ire!tions, the natural is to e set efore the artifi!ial' 2esi$es, on that vie" "hy shoul$ one "ho "ishe$ to pray "hen in the open !ountry pray to the East in preferen!e to the )est. If, in the one !ase it is reasona le to prefer the East, "hy shoul$ the same not e $one in every !ase. Enough on that su 7e!t' I have still to treat the topi!s of prayer, an$ there"ith I purpose to ring this treatise to an en$' ,our topi!s "hi!h I have foun$ s!attere$ throughout the &!riptures appear to me to $eserve mention, an$ a!!or$ing to these everyone shoul$ organi:e their prayer' The topi!s are as follo"s3 In the eginning an$ opening of prayer, glory is to e as!ri e$ a!!or$ing to one0s a ility to #o$, through Christ "ho is to e glorifie$ "ith Him, an$ in the Holy &pirit "ho is to e pro!laime$ "ith Him' Thereafter, one shoul$ put than-sgivings3 !ommon than-sgivings * into "hi!h he intro$u!es enefits !onferre$ upon men in general * an$ than-sgivings for things "hi!h he has personally re!eive$ from #o$' After than-sgiving it appears to me that one ought

to e!ome a po"erful a!!user of one0s o"n sins efore #o$ an$ as- first for healing "ith a vie" to eing release$ from the ha it "hi!h rings on sin, an$ se!on$ly for forgiveness for past a!tions' After !onfession it appears to me that one ought to appen$ as a fourth element the as-ing for the great an$ heavenly things, oth personal an$ general, on ehalf of one0s nearest an$ $earest' An$ last of all, one shoul$ ring prayer to an en$ as!ri ing glory to #o$ through %esus Christ in the Holy &pirit' As I alrea$y sai$, I have foun$ these points s!attere$ throughout the s!riptures' The element of glorious as!ription o!!urs in these "or$s in the one hun$re$ an$ thir$ psalm3 * O +or$, my #o$, ho" e8!ee$ingly you are magnifie$' 1ou have put on praise an$ ma7esty, "ho are He that "raps himself in light as in a mantel, "ho stret!hes out the heaven li-e a !urtain, "ho roofs His upper !ham ers "ith "aters, "ho ma-es !lou$s His !hariot, "ho "al-s on "ings of "in$s, "ho ma-es "in$s His angels an$ flaming fire His ministers, "ho lays the foun$ations of the earth for its safety * it shall not s"erve for ever an$ ever/ the $eep is a mantle of His vestment/ on the mountains shall "aters stan$/ from your re u-e shall they flee/ from the soun$ of your thun$er shall they shrin- in fear' In$ee$ most of the psalm !ontains as!ription of glory to the ,ather' 2ut anyone may sele!t numerous passages for himself an$ see ho" roa$ly the element of glorious as!ription is s!attere$' Of than-sgiving, this may e set forth as an e8ample' It is foun$ in the se!on$ oo- of ;ings, an$ is uttere$ y Davi$, after promises ma$e through Nathan to Davi$, in astonishment at the ounties of #o$ an$ in than-sgiving for them' It runs3 )ho am I, O +or$ my +or$, an$ "hat is my house, that you have love$ me to this e8tent. I am e8!ee$ing small in your sight, my +or$, an$ yet you have spo-en on ehalf of the house of your servant for a long time to !ome' &u!h is the "ay of man, O +or$ my +or$, an$ "hat shall Davi$ go on to say more to you. Even no" you -no" your servant, O +or$' ,or your servant have you "rought an$ a!!or$ing to your heart have you "rought all this greatness to ma-e it -no"n to your servant that he shoul$ magnify you, O +or$ my +or$' Of !onfessions "e have an e8ample in3 ,rom all my transgressions $eliver me' An$ else"here3 6y "oun$s have stun- an$ een !orrupt e!ause of my folly' I have een "ret!he$ an$ o"e$ $o"n utterly/ all the $ay have I gone "ith sullen fa!e' Of petitions "e have an e8ample in the t"enty@seventh psalm3 Dra" me not a"ay "ith sinners, an$ $estroy me not "ith "or-ers of unrighteousness, an$ the li-e' An$ it is right as one egan "ith as!ription of glory, to ring one0s prayers to an en$ in as!ription of glory, singing an$ glorifying the ,ather of all through %esus Christ in the Holy &pirit * to "hom e glory unto eternity' Thus, Am rosius an$ Tatiana, stu$ious an$ genuine rethren in piety, a!!or$ing to my a ility I have struggle$ through my treatment of the su 7e!t of prayer an$ of the prayer in the #ospels together "ith its prefa!e in 6atthe"' 2ut if you press on to the things in front an$ forget those ehin$ an$ pray for me in my un$erta-ing, I $o not $espair of eing ena le$ to re!eive from #o$ the #iver a fuller an$ more $ivine !apa!ity for all these matters, an$ "ith it to $is!uss the same su 7e!t again in a no ler, loftier, an$ !learer "ay' 6ean"hile, ho"ever, you "ill peruse this "ith in$ulgen!e'