Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 7.djvu/30

 Rh the members of His only-begotten Son, His kingdom will come to us and will not tarry. For are there as many ages yet remaining as have already passed away?

"Thy will be done as in Heaven, so in earth." The third thing we pray for is that His will may be done as in Heaven so in earth. And in this, too, we wish well for ourselves. For the will of God must necessarily be done. It is the will of God that the good should reign and the wicked be damned. Is it possible that this will should not be done? But what good do we wish ourselves when we say, "Thy will be done as in Heaven, so in earth?" Give ear. For this petition may be understood in many ways, and many things are to be in our thoughts in this petition when we pray God, "Thy will be done as in Heaven, so in earth. " As Thy angels offend Thee not, so may we also not offend Thee. Again, how is "Thy will be done as in Heaven, so in earth," understood? All the holy patriarchs, all the prophets, all the apostles, all the spiritual are, as it were, God's Heaven; and we in comparison of them are earth. "Thy will be done as in Heaven, so in earth"; as, in them, so in us also. Again, "Thy will be done as in Heaven, so in earth"; The Church of God is Heaven, His enemies are earth. So we wish well for our enemies, that they, too, may believe and become Christians, and so the will of God be done as in Heaven, so also in earth. Again, "Thy will be done as in Heaven, so in earth." Our spirit is 10