prayer to inculcate the indispensable necessity of a forgiving temper, to render us accepted in our devotional exercises. Christ follows it with this explanation, that if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. And again hẹ enforces it by the parable of the unfeeling servant to'wards his fellow, who owed him but an hundred pence, while himself owed ten thousand talents. The Lord of the servants delivered the unforgiving one over to the tormenters. So likewise, (said the Saviour) shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brethren their trespasses. This forgiving spirit must be felt every day and in every circumstance. It is a spirit which particularly distinguishes the renewed man from the unrenewed. Observe where it is exercised, how clearly it reflects a heavenly light. A pious man one day received much abuse from another person. The next day he was asked to forgive him. He replied, "I forgave you last evening before I prayed." Look at a brighter example still; see Stephen, when falling under a shower of stones, praying, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Behold a greater than Stephen. When rebel insects were imbruing their hands in the blood of the Prince of life, and imprecating it on the heads of their children, he poured out the prayer, "Father, forgive them.”

With such precepts and examples given us in Scrip ture, shall we ever dare to retaliate injuries, or even indulge hatred, or harbour one malicious thought? From this moment let us ever in prayer, lift up holy hands without WRATH or doubting. As we need and desire forgiveness of God, let us cheerfully forgive our fellow men.

In the next petition, when we pray that God would “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," we are to consider ourselves as liable every moment to be led away by temptations, if God do not interpose to rescue us:-this must be the meaning; "for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away with his own lust and enticed." Though the Scriptures speak of the

Lord's hardening Pharaoh's heart, of his tempting David to number Israel, and of his sending strong delusions, that men should believe a lie and be damned; we are not to consider Jehovah as influencing men to sin in the same sense in which he influences them to be holy; nor does his efficiency in their every action and volition, impair the freedom of their moral agency or destroy their accountability. When we pray against temptations, it is all important that we do not go in their way. The man who should pray against temptations to intemperance, would act a very inconsistent part if he immediately repaired to the dram shop, and mingled in the company of tiplers.

When we pray that God would deliver us from evil, we may desire exemption from natural evils so far as may be consistent with the will of God and our spiritual good. We may ask him to preserve us from overwhelming affliction, or to remove the bitter cup when presented to us; but if that spirit be in us which was also in Christ Jesus, our petitions will be closed with"nevertheless, not our will, but the will of God be done."

We shall however be more afraid of other evils, and when we rightly use this petition, we shall ardently desire to be delivered from the seductions of error,from vile affections, from the snares of a world lying in wickedness, and from the machinations of that EVIL ONE, who, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Moral evils, are above all things, to be dreaded. Nor can we pray too fervently or watch too faithfully against THEM These are the things which defile the conscience, separate the soul from fellowship with holy beings, deprive it of present happiness, and expose it to everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. How thankful ought we to be for Christ's prayer for all his disciples to the end of time.-"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

This petition also includes desires for "deliverance from the evil to come." The eye of faith discerns before all the ungodly and impenitent a day of wrath and revela

tion of the righteous judgment of God, that will inevitably come. And we may rest assured, that the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men will be indescrib ably awful. It becomes us to pray with an apostle.-"The Lord grant that we may obtain mercy of the Lord in that day." Or with the Psalmist "Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men." "Deliver me from going down to the pit, O thou who hast found out a ransom"-may well be found on our lips in view of the evil to come.

The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer conveys important religious instruction. "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen." All our en couragement in prayer arises from considerations intimately connected with those here introduced. Jeho vah's kingdom ruleth over all. All worlds and all crea⚫ tures belong to his dominions. He ruleth in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. None can stay his hand. His power is sufficient to bestow all needful blessings, and secure defence and protection against all evils. For disease, and death, and hell can do nothing but by his permission. Satan wears his chains.

This doxology teaches us to ascribe all sovereignty, all power, and all glory to him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb forever. The Lamb is to be included, for all heaven resounds with the anthem. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glóry, and blessings." Those who rightly use this ascription of the kingdom, the power, and the glory, rejoice that the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. They rejoice that his counsel shall stand, and that he will do all his pleasure; they rejoice in the thought that all things shall eventu ally subserve his glory; that even the wrath of men shall praise him and the remainder of wrath he will restrain; they rejoice that he reigns in the kingdom of grace, that he has wisdom to plan, power to execute, and benevolence to guide him in all the concerns of that kingdom; they rejoice that his counsels of justice, of truth, of mercy, and of faithfulness are immutable as his throne; that he has all hearts in his

hands and can turn the rebellious hearts of men to love and serve him. Rightly to use this conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, requires that spirit which Christ had when he rejoiced in spirit and said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast re vealed them unto babes; even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight." The free, rich, sovereign, and discriminating mercy and grace of God, is a source of comfort and joy to the pious soul, because he confides implicitly in God, knowing that the Judge of all the earth will do right. He therefore rejoices to have all his interests; and the interests of all creatures in God's hands. He cordially chooses to take the place and the portion which his Heavenly Father has appointed for him. When perfected in this spirit he would not in the least alter God's plan, were it in his power. It is thus the soul is prepared when it leaves the body, for joining in the grand and universal chorus, "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that siteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." To this all heaven say, Amen, so let it be. We should cordially say, Amen, to all the manifestations which God has made of himself in creation, providence, and redemption; to all the precepts and penalties of his law; and to all the invitations and promises of the gospel. In view of the coming of Christ to judge the world, we should say "Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus." This is the temper of heaven, and would at length elevate the soul to join in the highest notes of angels, Amen, Hallelujah.

Youthful reader, how concise, how full, how interesting the prayer which Christ dictated. It proves its author divine. It is so perfectly adapted to all persons, to all circumstances, to all times, that it deserves vastly more attention than it receives. The more we analyze it, the more moral beauties will be discovered. The more its spirit is felt and manifested, the more intimate will be our communion with God, the more endearing our fellowship with Christ, the more meet temples our hearts will be for the Holy Ghost, the more spiritual consola

tion we shall possess on earth, and the more prepared and ready we shall be to depart and be with Christ.

How much cause for humiliation, that with the words of this prayer in our lips from infancy, so small a measure of its spirit has been felt by any of us! How painful the thought, that with some of us, none of its spirit has been felt!

Let us all now fervently implore pardoning mercy through the Redeemer, for all our past guilt. Let us beseech him who has the residue of the spirit, to enable us in future, to have all our prayers, all our conduct, and all our affections harmonize with the prayer which was dictated by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

[For the Monitor.]

CHRISTIANS ALMOST.
$

THERE is a majesty in Christian virtue, which obtains from the throne of arrogant royalty, ere it is aware, an involuntary tribute of respect. Almost 2,000 years ago there was extorted from the lips of a certain monarch a confession, while proudly sitting in judgment upon a Christian, who stood before him, most unjustly loaded with chains, and without any to advocate his cause but himself; and which by permission he fearlessly attempted. The self-defence of the iron-bound Christian flashed conviction upon the marble-hearted monarch, and that conviction clothed in his own language was, "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." The attitude of mind betrayed by the confession of the Eastern monarch, is common throughout all the grades of impenitency. There are certain seasons, when individuals are "almost persuaded to be Christians." Most of the impenitent stand proudly aloof from the society of Christians, so long as they remain unmolested by the more bitter ills of life, and can bask almost incessantly in the sunshine of worldly pleasure; but rob the careless sinner of his health-let the paleness of death setupon his countenance--let him feel life wasting

tle