499
THE KING’S BUSINESS
b u t w e see th a t th is v e rse does n o t w a rra n t an y su ch p ractice an d th e re is n o t a single v erse a n yw h ere in th e B ible th a t does. M an y cu stom s c re p t in to th e ch u rch v ery early w hich w ere n o t o f G od a n d w h ich th e ap o stles d id n o t en d o rse an d w hich o u g h t
n o t to be fo llow ed by us. C ertain ly , if G od h ad w ish ed us to fo llow th is custom , H e w o u ld h av e sa id som eth in g m o re ab o u t it th a n P a u l does h ere. H e w o u ld a t least h av e e n d o rsed it in th is place, b u t H e does ju s t th e c o n trary , as seen above.
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Efficacy of Prayer
By Rev. P. S. Henson, D. D.
F o r M any Y ears P a sto r of th e F irst B ap tist C hurch, C hicago
Note.—D r. H enson, now deceased, w as fo r m an y y e a rs know n th ro u g h o u t th e len g th an d b read th of th is co u n try a s one of its m o st e arn est an d sym p a th e tic p reach ers. T his serm on on “P ra y e r” w as delivered a t th e P ro p h etic Con feren ce held in Chicago in 18S6, from th e te x t: “W h a t profit should w e h av e if we p ray u n to H im ?”—Jo b xxi, 15.—E ditor.
H E o ld est b o o k in th e B ible is th e o n e fro m w h ich my' te x t is tak en . T w o th in g s th is S c rip tu re in d u b itab ly proves. O n e is th a t from
th a t o u g h t to be ask ed a n d o u g h t to be a n sw ered , if a n sw er be possible, fo r th ey go d ow n to th e v ery ro o ts o f life an d up to th e v e ry g ates o f heaven. T h e q u estio n o f p ray er, w ith w hich, on th is occasion, w e a re especially concerned, is th e p iv o tal p o in t o f all relig io n . I f th a t be a p rev io u s reality, th en all else fo llo w s; b u t if p ra y e r be o n ly an em pty fo rm , “th en is o u r p reac h in g vain, y o u r fa ith is also v ain ,” th e w hole B ible is a tissu e of lies, a n d w e a re left w ith o u t G od a n d w ith o u t h o p e in th e w o rld . I t is n o t w ith o u t re a son, th ere fo re, th a t th e e arn est-m in d ed C h ristia n m en w ho have asso ciated th em selves to g e th e r in a B ible an d P ro p h e tic C onference, h eld last w eek in th is city, sh o u ld h av e em p h asized th is fu n d am en tal fe atu re o f th e C h ristia n system , an d should h av e u rg e d its p re sen ta tio n in a special d is co u rse. I co u ld v ery h e a rtily w ish th a t its
th e e arlie st ages m an h as felt im pelled to p ra y ; a n d th e o th e r is th a t, ev en w h en th e w o rld w as yo u n g , a n d w h en m en p re su m ably w ere p red isp o sed to relig io u s su p e rsti tio n , th e re w ere n o t a few to be fo u n d w ho u tte rly disbelieved in th e efficacy o f p ra y e r a n d scoffed at th o se w h o offered it as be in g ab su rd fan atics. “W h a t is th e A lm ig h ty th a t w e sh o u ld serv e H im ? A n d w h a t profit sh o u ld w e h av e if w e p ra y u n to H im ? ” T h e se a re th e q u estio n s th a t a re sup p o sed to be th e outcom e o f th e “ad v an ced th o u g h t” o f th is th é fo rem o st age o f h um an h isto ry , an d yet th ey w e re as sc o rn fu lly p ro p o u n d ed 3000 y ears ago a s th ey a re to d ay b y scientific cavilers. T h e y a re th e qu estio n s, indeed,
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