Matthew 6:14,15

For if ye forgive men... your heavenly father will forgive you.

Our Lord makes it. condition of our obtaining forgiveness that we shall forgive. The importance of this condition is shown by our Lord returning to this clause of the prayer, the only one that he reconsiders. Our great need is remission of sins, but our own souls must reflect the forgiving spirit that we would desire our heavenly Father to cherish. If we cherish anger, malice, or revenge, we not only nourish. sin but we shut up the stream of divine mercy towards us.

PRACTICAL AND SUGGESTIVE.

We must seek the praise of God rather than the praise of men.

We must never seek to do righteously for the sake of having men see us, but rather to please God.

We must make it our object to do our own good deeds unostentatiously.

Almsgiving, praying and fasting should be done quietly and in secret, rather than in public.

They who act righteously to show off before men get no heavenly reward.

Our prayers, even in public assemblies, should not be offered to the ears of the audience. We should not aim at rhetoric in our prayers. They should be simple, without redundant words, to the point, earnest.

There is. right way to give and. wrong way;. right and. wrong way to pray,. right and. wrong way to fast. If thou art. disciple of the Lord choose the right way.

He who says, "Our Father," sums up in this word, forgiveness of sins, justification, sanctification, redemption, adoption, inheritance, brotherly fellowship with the only begotten Son, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost in all their fulness.-- Chrysostom.

THE LORD'S PRAYER expresses and combines in the best order, every divine promise, every human sorrow and want, and every Christian aspiration for the good of others.-- Alford.

SINCERE PRAYER.--Only he is, truly sincere in prayer who earnestly labors to secure what he prays for. He who prays, "Hallowed be thy name," must hallow it; he who asks, "Thy kingdom come," must labor to spread it over the earth; he who prays, "Thy will be done," must do that will himself; he who asks for daily bread must labor for it; he who asks forgiveness must give it; he who prays to be kept out of temptation must keep out of it; he who implores deliverance from evil must resist the devil.

The noblest prayer is, when one evermore Grows inly liker him he kneels before-- From the German. Lord,. have shut my door! Come thou and visit me.. am alone! Come, as when doors were shut thou cam'st of yore, And visitedst thine own. My Lord,. kneel before thee with reverent love and fear, For thou art here.-- Mary E. Atkinson.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS.

1. Bring out the difference between the righteousness Christ enjoins and that of the Pharisees. 2. Illustrate the influence that the desire of human approbation has on religion. 3. Show how the worship of the churches is modified by the desire to please men instead of God. 4. Show where the reward comes from when we seek to please men, and how only. reward from the Heavenly Father comes. 5. Point out the world's way of giving and contrast it with the right way. 6. Point out the world's way of praying, the eloquent prayers, for the ears of men, for things not really wanted, and contrast with the right way. 7. Point to the model prayer, its brevity, its simplicity, its comprehensiveness, and show what is its object. 8. Discuss each of the seven petitions. 9. Show that no one can pray this prayer unless he lives it. 10. Sum up the practical applications to yourself, the lessons for you in to-day's teaching.