Sermons on the Lord's Prayer. Oliver Prescott Hiller
sun, or great source of heavenly light and heat, which is, in truth, but an emanation from his own Divine and glorious Person. It is the light from the same heavenly Sun, that illumines the minds of men on earth, and it is its heat that warms their hearts with love: as Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."[15]
By the expression, then, "Our Father, who art in the heavens," is to be understood, in a strict sense, the Divine of the Lord as it is received in the heavens by the angels there—which is the Lord dwelling in their hearts; and in particular, it signifies the Divine Good from the Lord which is with them. For by the term "Father," in Scripture, when used in an abstract sense, is signified the Divine Good, and by "Son," the Divine Truth, both in and from the Lord; because Goodness or Love is the first essential and producing principle, from which are all things, and for that reason, termed Father, while Truth is a secondary principle derived from Love, as light proceeds from flame, and is therefore called Son. In this sense, by "Father in the heavens," is signified the Divine Good which is from the Lord in the heavens. In a similar sense, the phrase is used in other places in Scripture; as in the command of the Lord, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in the heavens is perfect."[16] Now it would be too much to require man to equal in goodness the Lord himself, who is Divine and Infinite Goodness; but the goodness that is from the Lord in heaven, we may take for a model, with the hope of equaling or at least approaching it; for the angels of heaven were all once men like ourselves. In this sense of the phrase, the command to be "perfect as your Father in the heavens is perfect," is seen to possess a distinct and appropriate meaning.
It is on account of this signification of the term Father, as designating especially the Divine Goodness or Love, that the Prayer commences with the expression, "Our Father;" in order to convey the idea that all prayer is directed to the Lord, as a Being of love, and that from his love all requests are granted and all blessings flow. We have indeed a general view of the same truth, when we think of the phrase merely in its literal sense—the term "father" conveying to our minds the idea of one who loves us as his children, and wishes to bless us. But a knowledge of the spiritual sense of the term makes the idea more full and distinct.
The reason, probably, why the expression "in the heavens" is added, is because it is to the Lord as the Author of the good that exists in heaven, and as being himself, indeed, that good, that our prayer is in particular directed—because that is the good that we ourselves solicit and wish to receive. The Divine Goodness, as it is in the Lord himself, we can have no conception of, and no hope to attain, for it is Infinite; we cannot, as it were, even see such Goodness in our thought, so as to address it. But the Lord's goodness as it exists in heaven, we can conceive of, and may rightly pray for; and him, as being the author of that goodness, and as being that Goodness, we properly pray to, for of him in that view we can have a distinct idea.
In conclusion. When, then, we kneel down to offer up this holy Prayer, and utter the words, "Our Father, who art in the heavens," let us bring distinctly before our minds the Divine Form and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, holding out, as it were, his arms to us, and saying tenderly, as he said on earth, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Looking thus to him who is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life," who has "all power in heaven and earth," who is "the light of the world," we may reasonably hope for an answer to our prayer; we may hope to receive that light and truth which will guide us in the way of life everlasting; we may trust that we shall be delivered from evil and blessed with good; and that with us, at least, his "kingdom will come, and his will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."
1 ↑ Arcana Cœlestia, n. 6619.
2 ↑ A. C., 6476.
3 ↑ A. C., 4047.
4 ↑ Samuel vi. 7.
5 ↑ Luke xviii. 13, 14.
6 ↑ Matthew i. 23.
7 ↑ Ephesians iv. 10.
8 ↑ John xiv. 7, 9.
9 ↑ Matthew xxviii. 18.
10 ↑ vii. 39.
11 ↑ John xx. 22.
12 ↑ 1 Kings viii. 27.
13 ↑ viii. 1, and cxiii. 4.
14 ↑ 1 Timothy vi. 16.
15 ↑ John viii. 12.
16 ↑ Matthew v. 48.
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