not used by either the learned or the vulgar, and seems to have been formed by the Evangelists. There is, therefore, no resource left but etymology, which has guided Jerome in his translation, who calls it in Matthew supersubstantialis, but in Luke quotidianus. Now, super-substantialis is a very literal version of Entovotos, which is compounded of επι, upon, and ουσία, essence or substance. But such versions are the result of ignorance, and prove that the translator understands only the component parts of a word, but not the word itself. Super-substantialis is as unintelligible as extovotos, although it has been supposed to mean the bread of the Eucharist, a supposition utterly absurd. Some have thought that it is derived from the verb ɛɛ, which signifies to remain, to be after; and that apros Extovsios is our future bread, the bread of to-morrow. But the petition thus understood would sound harshly, "Give us this day," or, as in Luke, "Give us day by day the bread of the next day;" and seems not to be consistent with trust in God, and with our Saviour's exhortation not to take thought for the morrow. The word is not so explained by any of the ancients; and this sense is rejected by Origen, who mentions it only as a sense which might occur to some of his readers. Apros Extovotos is explained by Chrysostom and others, who were the most competent judges, to be bread which passes into the essence or substance of our bodies, bread which is sufficient for the preservation of our bodily substance; and they understand by it, not the luxuries and superfluities of life, but those things which are necessary for its support."

*

We are forbidden to seek high things, and if we are duly influenced by the glorious discoveries of the Gospel, we will feel a great degree of indifference to the enjoyments and splendours of the world. But daily bread is not to be confined to those things which are usually called the necessaries of life. Even the phrase, the necessaries of life, does not convey a definite idea, as the circumstances of individuals are so much diversified, and what is sufficient for one would be totally inadequate to the wants of another. God, who has placed man in different situations, has himself rendered a larger share of worldly good things necessary to a man of rank, for example, than to an obscure person, to the father of a numerous family than to him who is childless. Our Saviour has in his wisdom employed a general expression, which admits of considerable latitude of application, and authorises us to pray for sufficient bread, for a competent portion, for all that our station requires. The prayer of Agur will serve as a model, and will show us, that, although we should not presume to dictate to God, yet there are two extremes from which we may pray to be preserved, as there is danger to be apprehended from both. "Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full and deny thee, and say, who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."†

It is almost unnecessary to add, that this prayer does not supersede the use of means; for it is only in conforming to the established order of providence, that we ought to expect it to be answered. The prayer imports that our temporal blessings come from God, in whatever channel they may be communicated; that without his blessing our industry and foresight will prove unavailing; and that our dependence upon him is constant: and hence we are directed to present this petition, not at distant intervals, but from day to day. Even the rich man who thinks that he has goods laid up for many years, should ask his daily bread from God; for when it is in his hand, providence could snatch it from him, and scatter in an hour his wealth to the winds.

In the next petition we pray for the remission of sin: "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Our debts are our sins, and accordingly • Vide Wits, in Symbolum Exercit. xi. de Pane Quotidiano, § 10. †Prov. xxx. 7-9.

By

that he should be in a state of charity towards his brethren of mankind, and especially towards those who have offended him. "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.' subjoining this qualification to the petition, our Lord reminds his disciples of the necessity of being placable and merciful, and encourages them, when they are conscious of this temper, to expect mercy from God. The petition points out the order, according to which God dispenses favours to his people. He will withdraw his chastening hand when they return to a sense of their duty. When they forgive others, he will forgive them.

If we take this view of the subject, the difficulty is removed. It is not the condition of their original pardon which is prescribed, but of the forgiveness of their subsequent failings and imperfections.

We cannot pray in sincerity for the pardon of sin, without feeling an abhorrence of it, and forming a resolution henceforth to renounce it. Our Saviour has therefore taught us to say in the next place, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Temptation signifies any thing which entices us to sin. It would be foreign to our present design, to inquire what are the various sources of temptation; but it is necessary to ascertain what is implied in not leading us into it. The expression has rather a strange sound, as it occurs in an address to God, and it seems to import that God might be actively concerned in tempting us, in direct contradiction to the following words: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." It is certain that God may give permission to wicked spirits and bad men to tempt us, for there is no doubt that he could restrain them; that, in the course of his providence, he may place us in circumstances which have a tendency to stimulate our corrupt desires and passions; and that he may leave us to act according to the inclinations of our hearts. Thus far we may conceive him to lead us into temptation; but to suppose him to exert any direct influence to excite us to comply with it, would be to represent him as the author of sin. The words before us, and all similar expressions, ought to be explained consistently with the perfect purity of the Divine nature; and we should avoid all those metaphysical speculations concerning the agency of God in the actions of his creatures, which bewilder the mind, and lead us so far, that we can only escape the impious conclusion by retracting our own reasonings, and resting, where we should have always rested, in the incontrovertible truth, that " God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all." This petition, then, is expressive of two things; first, of a request, founded on a humble sense of our weakness and liability to err, that God would keep temptation at a distance from us; and, secondly, of a request that, if for wise reasons he shall be pleased to expose us to it, he would assist and strengthen us in the evil hour. It is a direct acknowledgment of our inability to preserve ourselves. Accordingly, we are directed farther to say, "Deliver us from evil;" signifying, that our own wisdom and resolution are insufficient, and that our only resource is the power of God. Evil is generally understood to be sin; but in the original, the article is prefixed to it-pvoa quas ano tov novypov; which may be translated, from the evil It was generally so explained by the Fathers. The character of the evil one is justly given to the apostate spirit who was the first transgressor, and is continually soliciting others to transgress; and the description of him "as a roaring lion, that goes about seeking whom he may devour," shows the danger which we have reason to dread from him, and the urgent necessity of prayer that we may be preserved from his power. When Christians are exhorted to put on the whole armour of God,—the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet † James i. 13. + 1 Pet. v. 8.

one.

* Matth. vi. 14, 15.

of salvation, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit,-it is added, “ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.'

The prayer is concluded with this doxology: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen." It may be considered, not only as an ascription of praise to God, but as containing reasons or motives to encourage us to offer up the preceding petitions. The kingdom belongs to God; who is the Sovereign of the universe, and, having all things at his disposal, can bestow the blessings which we ask. The power belongs to him; and therefore no obstacle can prevent the accomplishment of his gracious designs. The glory belongs to him; and therefore we infer that he will grant our requests, because in the dispensations of his providence and grace his name will be glorified. To the whole prayer, the Hebrew word "Amen" is subjoined, which, in this connexion, is expressive of our desire, and of our confidence that we shall be heard.

It is proper to observe, that the genuineness of the doxology has been called in question by many learned men, and that it is supposed to be an interpolation transferred into the text from the ancient liturgies, in which it was used after the prayer was recited. It is remarked, that it is wanting in Luke, where this prayer is repeated, only with some unimportant alterations; but if the doxology is interpolated in Matthew, it is not easy to conceive why it has been left out in Luke, as it would have been as easy to introduce it in the one place as in the other. Its presence in the former Gospel, and its absence in the latter, seem rather to prove it to be genuine. It is not found in many manuscripts, in the writings of some of the Greek Fathers even when they professedly explain the Lord's prayer, in several ancient versions, and in the Fathers of the Latin Church. On the other hand, there are several ancient versions in which it is, found, and Greek and Latin writers by whom it is quoted and commented upon; and it is asserted also, that it appears in many manuscripts some of which are of high antiquity. Griesbach has ejected it from the text; but, although his authority is great, the discussions of some learned men have made some abatement from it, and shown us that we ought not implicitly to bow to his decisions. I do not pretend to determine a question, with respect to which the most eminent critics are divided in sentiment.

In this formulary, we have all the constituent parts of prayer. It begins and ends with adoration and thanksgiving; and it contains petitions for temporal and spiritual blessings, some of which obviously imply confession of our sinfulness and weakness. It is an admirable guide to us in our devotions; and prayers conformable to this pattern are acceptable to God, when they flow from a heart purified by faith. It is entitled to the highest respect, as a form to be occasionally used in public and private; and to lay piety out of the question, we could not say much for the modesty of the man who should presume to think that any prayer which he could compose would be better. Our Directory for Public Worship says, "Because the prayer which Christ taught his disciples is not only a pattern of prayer, but itself a most comprehensive prayer, we recommend it also to be used in the prayers of the church."

Eph. vi. 18.

LECTURE XCVI.

ON THE CHURCH.

Different Meanings of the Term, Church.-Import of the Distinctions into the Visible and Invisible, Militant and Triumphant Church.-The Design of the Church.-The Qualification of its Members; Baptism, Knowledge, Faith, and a Credible Profession.-The Unity, Universality, Perpetuity, and Infallibility of the True Church.

THE design of God in the various dispensations of religion, has been to establish and uphold a society of a singular character, separated from the world, dedicated to his service, and distinguished by the high privileges conferred upon the members. As this society is the object of his special care, and it is in it that revelation is preserved, the ordinances of the true religion are administered, and the blessings of salvation are enjoyed, it is entitled to particular attention.

The name by which it is known among us is the Church, and this term is used as equivalent to the Hebrew word p, and the Greek word exxoia. As a signifies a congregation, or a number of persons gathered together, so this is the import of exxanoia, which denoted, among the Greeks, an assembly of the people convoked by lawful authority. Accordingly, the former word is frequently translated by the latter in the Septuagint, and occurs likewise as its substitute in the New Testament. In the fortieth psalm, the Messiah says, "I have declared thy righteousness in the great congregation;"- bnp-and the passage is thus quoted in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Εν μεσω εκκλησίας now σ; “In the midst of the church I will sing praise to thee."* The Septuagint here employs the word συναγωγή.

The word xxλnoia bears a variety of senses, which either are found in Scripture, or have been since attached to it in the common language of Christians It is not certain that it any where signifies, in the New Testament, the place of meeting for the worship of God, (see 1 Cor. xi. 22.) although it very early received this meaning by metonymy, according to which the thing containing is called by the name of that which it contains; and, in imitation of the ancients, we give the designation of churches to those houses in which Christians hold their religious assemblies. As it would serve no purpose to inquire whether there were any houses so denominated in the days of the Apostles, I proceed to observe, that the Church sometimes denotes a single family, or rather a few individuals associated together in observing the institutions of the Gospel. This appears from such passages as the following: "Greet the church that is in the house of Aquila and Priscilla." "Salute the church which is in the house of Nymphas." It is highly probable that those churches consisted, not only of the children and servants belonging to the persons named, but of others, who, professing the faith, repaired to their houses at stated times to hear the word, and to unite in the exercises of prayer and praise. There is little reason to think that the primitive disciples had any other houses in which they might hold their conventicles, as they were an infant sect, and were surrounded with enemies, whose notice it would have been imprudent to attract by a public dis play. However few in number, they were encouraged to meet by the gracious promise of our Saviour, that "where two or three are met together in his name, he is in the midst of them.”

Again, The Church signifies all the Christians in a particular city, whether they assembled for religious offices in one place, or in several places. This is Rom. xvi. 5. Col. iv. 15.

• Heb. ii. 12.