» 
142 
other writers, supposes that it was com- 
municated by Jesus to his disciples, in 
conformity with the custom of many 
Jewish teachers of celebrity, whose prac- 
tice it was to deliver some compendious 
form of prayer for the use of their scho- 
lars. ‘Chis probability is confirmed, 
he observes, by the striking similarity 
which subsists between this prayer, and 
certain portions of the ancient Jewish 
prayers; “a similarity so close, that if 
the corresponding passages ot the latter 
are collected inta one prayer, they will 
nearly produce that which Christ deli- 
vered.”? The passages thus. collected 
areas follows:—Our Father which art 
in Heaven: thy name be sanctified: thy 
kingdom reign: do thy’will in Heaven: 
forgive us our sins: lead us not into the 
hand:of temptation: and deliver us 
from Satan: for thine is the kingdom: 
and thou shalt reign gloriously for 
ever and ever. Of these passages, it is 
however to be observed, that several are 
modern. 
In his consideration of this prayer, 
Mr. Mendham divides it into three: parts; 
the first sentence forming an address ; 
the last a doxology; and the intermediate 
six constituting the petitionary part of 
the prayer; the first three of these peti- 
tions referring to'God, the other three 
to man. 
Between the copies recorded by Mat- 
thew and Luke, it is well known, that 
‘there exists some dissonance. ‘That the 
doxology inserted in the work of the 
former of these evangelists, is omitted 
by the latter, must have been observed 
by every reader of the New Testament ; 
there is, however, reason for believing, 
that it was also wanting in the original 
copies of Matthew. It is unnoticed by 
the fathers of the three first centuries, 
though some of them have written expo- 
sitions of the Lord’s prayer ; it is omit- 
ted by the most valuable manuscripts in 
which this part of the New Testament is 
preserved, and is wanting in several an- 
cient versions. ‘There is, however, ano- 
ther important variation in the reading 
of this prayer, which is found in the an- 
cient copies, though it has disappeared 
from those of later date: the third pe- 
tition of Matthew’s copy, “thy will be 
done in earth as.it is in Heaven.”— 
These are wanting in the ancient manu- 
scripts of Luke, and are omitted by 
Griesbach in his late edition of the New 
Testament. Some writers also tell us, 
that the second petition in Luke, in 
q 
THEOLOGY AND ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS. 
place of the words thy kingdom conte? 
originally stood thus :-—‘ may thy holy 
spirit come upon us, and purify us ;’” 
and there is reason for supposing this 
reading to be at least ancient, though 
perhaps not genuine. Should these va- 
riations be established, we must have re- 
course, says Mr. Mendham, to the hypo- 
thesis, that the prayers of Matthew and 
Luke are really distinct, and were deli- 
vered by our Lord on different occa~— 
sions. * 
We find nothing either in the transla- 
tion or exposition of Mr. Mendham, of 
sufficient novelty to require introduction 
to our readers; nor indeed could there 
be any reasonable expectation of novelty 
on a subject necessarily so exhausted. 
We make, with pleasure, the following 
practical extract: 
«« Here then is presented to us a wide field 
for the exercise aud display of submission to 
the will of God; and when we pray that the 
will of God may be done in earth, we express 
our desire that mankind may yield a universal 
submission to the dispensations of his provi- 
dence; that the rebellieus children of Adam, 
from the extremities of the earth, may repent 
of their past disobedience, cast themselves 
down before the throne of their divine Seve- 
reign, surrender themselves to his disposal, and 
become voluntary subjects of his government ; 
that all the inhabitants of the world, all tia- 
tions and languages, may with one spirit ae- 
knowledge him as their Supreme Governor, 
aud devote themselves with absolute resigna- 
tion to whatsoever he may appoint. But as 
that will never be done by alte which is not 
done by individuals; and as the principal 
obligation of the prayer lies upon those in 
offer it, we engage, by the use of it, firstand 
principally for ourselves, that we will submit 
to the appointment of God in his providence; 
and that his will, if it is done by none: be- 
sides, shall be done by us. We oblige our- 
selves, generally, to acknowledge that. the 
Judge *, all the Earth will do nothing but 
what is tight, and to acqniesce in the wisdom 
and justice of all the divine proceedings. -In 
all those events and dispensations of whicl 
we cannot perceive the object or propriety, it 
is a duty which we impose upon ourselves to 
bow with religious reverence.. As far as an 
insight is aflorded us, into the divine coun- 
sels, we see sufficient evidence of the wisdonr 
and equity of all the transactions of the Great 
Ruler of the world; and what is veiled in ob- 
scurity, what is inscrutable to mortal eyes, 
we are bound to regard with the awe and ad- 
miration of the apostle, when contemplating 
a dispensation which he could not compre- 
hend :—* O the depth of the riches, both of 
the wisdom and knowledge of God! how 
unsearchable are hisjudgments, and his ways 
* 
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