A PARAPHRASE ON THE LORD'S PRAYER.
Our Father which art in Heaven.
“Father”—to think of His paternal Care
Is a most sweet Encouragement to Pray'r.
“Our Father”—all Men's Father — to remind
That we should love, as Brethren, all Mankind.
“Which art in Heaven”—assures an heav'nly Birth
To all His loving Children upon Earth.
Hallowed be Thy Name.
“Name”—is expressive of a real Thing,
With all the Pow'rs of which it is the Spring.
“Thy Name”—is therefore to be understood:
“Thy Blessèd Self, Thou Fountain of all Good.”
“Be Hallowèd—be lov'd, obey'd, ador'd,
By inward Pray'r habitually implor'd.
Thy Kingdom come.
“Kingdom”—of Grace at present, Seed and Root
Of future Glory's everlasting Fruit.
“Thy Kingdom”—not the World's War-shifted Scene
Of Pomp and Show, but Love's all-peaceful Reign.
“Come”—rule within our Hearts, by Grace Divine,
Till all the Kingdoms of the World be Thine.
Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven.
“Thy Will”—to ev'ry Good that boundless Pow'rs
Can raise, if we conform to it with ours.
“Be done in Earth,”—where Doing of His Will
Promotes all Good, and overcomes all Ill.
“As 'tis in Heav'n,”—where all the Blest above
Serve with one Will the Living Source of Love.
Give us this Day our daily Bread.
“Give us”—implies Dependence, whilst we live,
Not on ourselves, but what He wills to give.
“This Day”—cuts off all covetous Desire
Of more, and more than real Wants require.
Our daily Bread—whatever we shall need,
And rightly use, to make it Ours indeed.
And forgive us our Trespasses.
“Forgive”—betokens penitential Sense,
And Hope for Pardon, of confess'd Offence.
“Us”—takes in all, but hints the special Part
Of ev'ry one, to look to his own Heart.
“Our Trespasses,”—which the forgiving Grace,
By our sincere Conversion, must efface.
As We forgive them that trespass against Us.
“As We forgive,”—because the fairest Claim
To Mercy pray'd for is to shew the same,
And we who pray should all be minded thus
To pardon them—“that trespass against Us.”
Without forgiving, Christ was pleas'd to add,
Our own Forgiveness never can be had.
And lead us not into Temptation.
“Temptation”—rises in this World, the Field
Of Good and Evil, and incites to yield.
“Lead us not into it”—becomes the Voice
Of all, who would not go to it by Choice;
Whose Resignation, mix'd with meek Distrust
Of their own Strength, is more securely just.
But deliver Us from Evil.
“But”—when Temptation will, of coursè, arise,
The Hand that leads can minister Supplies.
“Deliver Us”—instructs the Soul to place
Its firm Reliance on protecting Grace.
“From Evil,”—from the greatest Evil, Sin;
The only one not to be safely in.
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory.
“Thine is the Kingdom,”—the essential Right
To sov'reign Rule and Majesty and Might.
“Thine is the Pow'r”—to bless and to redeem;
All else is weak whatever it may seem.
“Thine is the Glory,”—manifestly found
In all Thy Works, the whole Creation round.
For Ever and Ever.
“For Ever”—from an unbeginning Source
Almighty Love pursues Its endless Course.
Through all its Scenes, Eternity displays
New Wonders to our Heav'nly Father's Praise.
King, Father, Leader, Judge, His Hallow'd Name
Was, is, and ever shall be, still the same
Amen.
“Amen”—is “Truth,” in Hebrew; and “Consent
To Truth receiv'd” by its long Use is meant.
Jesus, Himself the Truth, the Living Way,
The Faithful Witness, teaches us to pray.
Again should we be learning and again,
Till Life becomes a practical “Amen.”
