LEARNING THE LORD'S PRAYER.
In the Middle Ages, when the great lords and knights were always at war with one another, one of them resolved to revenge himself upon a neighbor who had offended him. It chanced that, on the very evening when he had made this resolution, he heard that his enemy was to pass near his castle, in company with only a few men. It was a good opportunity to take his revenge, and he determined not to let it pass. He spoke of this plan in the presence of his chaplain, who tried in vain to persuade him to give it up. At length, seeing that all his words had no effect, he said: "My lord, since I cannot persuade you to give up this plan of yours, will you at least consent to come with me to the chapel, that we may pray together before you go?" The duke consented, and he and the chaplain knelt together in prayer. Then the mercy-loving Christian said to the revengeful warrior, "Will you repeat after me, sentence by sentence, the prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught his disciples?" "I will do it," replied the duke. The chaplain said a sentence, and the duke repeated it, till he came to the petition: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us." Then the duke was silent. "My lord duke, you are silent," said the chaplain. "Will you continue to repeat the words after me, if you dare pray them, 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us'?" "I cannot," replied the duke. "Well," said the chaplain, "you must either give up your revenge or give up saying this prayer, for to ask God to pardon you as you pardon others is to ask him to take vengeance on you for all your sins. Go now, my lord, and meet your victim. God will meet you at the Judgment-day." "No," said the duke, "I will finish my prayer. My God, Father, pardon me; forgive me as I desire to forgive him who has offended me; lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil." "Amen," said the chaplain. "Amen," repeated the duke, who had now thoroughly learned the Lord's prayer.—Sabbath Reading.