the welfare of his creatures; but, on the contrary, a Parent, who views all creatures with perfect love, the plans of whose government are all devised for promoting our good, and whom we only therefore approach under his proper character, when we regard him as a Being who is interested in our happiness, and are willing to receive, as obedient children, whatever he may see fit to ordain for us.

We are taught by this form of adoration, however, not only to regard the Almighty as a Father, but as our Father who is in heaven. And in this part of the adoration also, there is a great and most pleasing idea intended to be conveyed. For we are thus reminded, that the glories of this earth are but a specimen of far greater things which exist throughout the universe; that we, therefore, though called to approach the Almighty as a Father, are `but parts of a still greater family on which he has bestowed his love; or that, as he is our Father, he is also the Father of all those heavenly hosts, who excel in strength, who do his commandments, and who see, amidst the glories of his heavenly kingdom, more perfect manifestations of his wisdom and goodness. And surely no ideas could be bet

ter adapted for preparing us for coming with advantage into the presence of God; for how is it possible for us, with this idea in our minds, to doubt of our acceptance with a Being, who thus looks with boundless compassion on all his creatures,-who has given us our being, as but parts of a family to which his perfect goodness is more fully displayed, and who is conducting every thing that happens to us in time for our final admission into his heavenly kingdom?

Such, then, are the ideas suggested by the opening address of the Prayer. It teaches us, in the first place, to approach the Almighty under the character of a Father; that is to say, as a Being who cannot have any object in view but our welfare, and who is overruling all things that happen to us in time for our best interests. We are further taught to regard him as our Father who is in heaven,—that is to say, as a Being who has spread before us the magnificence of the earth as but an indication of greater glories with which the universe abounds, and who has made us therefore but parts of a great family, to which his perfections are more gloriously revealed, and with which we too shall be

associated for ever, if we do well the part that is now assigned us. These are, undoubtedly, the purest and sublimest ideas we can form of the character of God; and these also are the only ideas, the habitual impression of which is likely either to render devotion pleasing to us, or to make it subservient to our moral improvement.

II. After this examination of the opening address of the Prayer, we now proceed to consider the first series of petitions which it contains, and which are as follows:- "Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth, as it is

in heaven."

The first petition, which is in these words, "Hallowed be thy name," is a natural suggestion of the ideas contained in the opening address. For what can be more natural than that, after having raised our minds to the conception of a Being who is adorned with all goodness, and dignified by all glory,-whose presence fills the infinite extent of space, and who has especially manifested himself to man as a bountiful parent,-we should feel a desire that such excellence and such goodness may

be everywhere acknowledged,—that all intelligent creatures may join in one hymn of adoration and of homage, and that we, who see God but in the grandeur and beauty of his works, may learn to consider ourselves as standing at all times in a temple which is hallowed by his presence, and may, under this impression, devote our whole hearts and lives to his service?

When, therefore, we pray, "Hallowed be thy name," we express the sense which we have of our inability to think of God with such sentiments of veneration and love as his perfect excellence ought to inspire. We pray also, that when we bow down in supplication before him, our minds may be awakened to views of his nature in some degree corresponding with his greatness; and that, at all moments,—when we are occupied with the cares and duties of life, as well as in our hours of more solemn devotion,—we may live under a deep and becoming sense of our dependence upon him. We pray that, throughout all worlds, those beings whom he has made capable of perceiving his excellence, may feel also a disposition to venerate and adore it; and that, as all his works manifest his wisdom,

and goodness, and power, all those minds, on which he has bestowed the high gift of devotional feeling, may be disposed to bless him.

We have but imperfectly evolved the idea of God, however, when we merely consider him as a being who is adorned with all glory and all goodness,―nor are our conceptions of the universe complete, while we merely consider it as a visible manifestation of the attributes of the Divine Nature. The second petition, which our Lord has embodied in this Prayer, still further reminds us, that the Being who is thus all-perfect and all-good, is also a Sovereign, who exercises a wise and universal dominion over every thing that he has made. We are thus taught to consider creation, and all the beings that people it, as forming one great kingdom, the affairs of which are superintended and conducted by perfect wisdom and love; and we are led to look forward to a period in the revolutions of the universe, when the plans of the Omnipotent shall be fully disclosed, and when all things shall more perfectly manifest the wisdom of his

sway.

When, therefore, we pray, as directed in the se