SUNDAY READING

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1933, Page 14 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING

(By

the late REV. A. H. COLUNS

“THE ’MINISTRY OF INTERCESSION.” Man is at his best-when he prays. For when foe soul pours out its prayer to God, we discover not only what foe suppliant is, but what the fain would be. It is foe . ideal life struggling into self-expression; and when this becomes habitual it leavps an indelible impression. It imparts a starry look, such as Moses had when he came down from the mount and “foe skin of his face did shine." The evangelist, describing foe Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, says that “as He prayed, foe fashion of His countenance was changed." The inner glory broke through foe tabernacle of His flesh until His face glowed like a porphyry vase lighted from wifoin. Something like thatis seen in foe lives of those who habitually pray. ■ There is a striking passage in foe life of Mrs. Besant. Speaking of her sceptical days, she says: “I have given up the use of prayer as a blasphemais absurdity, since an all-will God could not need my .suggestion, or an all-good God require my prompting" .But she discovered her mistake and so added these significant words: “God fades out of foe daily life of those who do pot pray."-, " Ip that confession you come in sight pf foe ratianale of prayer., “God fades put of foe daily fife of those who do not pray," and foe reverse pf that is true. God brightens the daily life of those . who “practise foe presence, of God” until life comes to wear a look of moral and spiritual glory. PRAYER pF VARIOUS KINDS. But all prayer is not foe same prayer. There is adoration, as when foe angels cry “Holy, holy, holy," there is confession, as when the prodigal , cried, “Father, I have sinned," there is supplication, as when the disciples said, “Lord, teach us how to pray,", there is intercession, as when Christ prayed for His own, and of these several forms the -last, is not foe leapt. For if, like opr Master,- we plead for others, we are in pur measure, doing op earth what He ever liveth to do ip Heaven. It will not be our personal needs that will burden us most; }t will be foe needs, foe perils, foe sorrows,'and th? sins of others—foe cjty, foe empire and foe worldIt is fold of Bishop Jackson that he used to retire fo his room with- a list of his clergy and pray for each according to his’circumstances and his character; and foe 'Bishop M London says there were few of Bishop Jackson’s sons and helpers of whom he had, not formed a definite opinion,- and was able intelligentally to help at foe Throne of Grace. For foe good Bishop was not engaged ip some dreamy, abstract, impracticable service. He was doing something definite and serviceable. PRAYER WITH A PURPOSE. I say something definite and, serviceable, for prayers, of intercession are not sayings, but doings. “God js spirit,” everywhere present through space and time. 'God is as truly here as in those remote apd invisible stars which crowd foe Milky Way. In His all things consist. He is not only Creator; He is Ruler and Upholder; and just as in foe world of spirit, God is Light, Love, Goodness and Justice, so in foe world of matter God is Power, Law, Order.' Whenever we intercede for friend and neighbour we are. doing in the realm-of spirit something as real and definite as foe man who works with hammer' and plane and saw. What a difference it would make in our prayers -if we. grasped foe simple fact that prayer is not saying something; it is doing something! It is not asking God to change His mind or violate foe laws of His universe; it is pot pestering Him to do something He is reluctant'to .do. Prayer is fellowship, until we leapt to will as He wills, and co-operate with God ip foe doing of His will. But power to help involves duty to help and if in communion with God we may learn foe world's sore need of Divine help and still remain dumb, are we not guilty of cruelty and wrong'? - Is not that’what Samuel means when lie says, “God forbid that I should

sin in ceasing to pray for you." Is not that foe point in Tennyson’s oftquoted lines, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” THE SERVICE OF PRAYER.. It is just here that Abraham's intercession for the doomed cities supplies such sublime example of vicarious service. Neither Abraham nor his prayer is free from fault, when gauged by New Testament standards, and yet having regard to foe time and the world in which he lived, fiis spirit is wonderful. Notice the holy adroitness which led him to veil his ultimate purpose and begin with fifty and end with ten! Notice foe sacred audacity which im-

pelled him to return again and again and press his plea 1 Notice the divine pitifulness that moved hjs heart at sight of foe threatened ruin. Notice, too, foe practical nature of his service. He cannot sit still as, an idle ' spectator, and because resort to God seemed the most Serviceable thing he could do, he bowed his head and prayed. What was foe secret of Abraham’s eompassionateness. I have paid his character was not immaculate. He had grave faults, which should be frankly confessed. But he represents the best of his time, and his religion was foe highest type in his age, and it is his alliance with God that explains his prayer. The holiest are ever the most compassionate. I would not seem to be an accuser of foe brethren I say nothing to you which I have not said to my own frail and sinful heart;, but jf we lived nearer to God we should be more sensitive to foe world’s sore need, apd we should cultivate foe ministry of foe intercessors. THE BAND OF KINSHIP. Kinship also played its part. Lot was in foe doomed cities and Lot had served Abraham badly; but “Blood is thicker than water,” and whatever bonds may bind men to pray for stranger and neighbour, the claim of kindred comes first, We are bound by every consideration of Nature and religion to give first place to foe members of our own family and tribe, our own country and Empire and her dependencies. The . Book which bids us pray for our enemies lays on us foe charge to have a care—-yes ( a first care—for .our own household. And our chief, concern should be not commercial pre-eminence or martial glory, but national honour and sobriety and honesty. It is noteworthy that our Lord never prayed for His Disciples’ comfort, Hi? concern was that they should be kept from the evil. But neighbourliness had its place in Abraham’s heart. Charity did begin at home, but unlike foe spurious modem article, jt did not end there. His sympathies overleaped national and creeded barriers. The men of Sodom were not pf his faith and tribe, but they were men, men exposed and threatened and that was enough. When the cry of drowning men rings across storm-swept and wintry seas and sailors are seen hanging half-frozen jn the rigging pf a disabled ship, who cares to ask their nationality? Any Britisher would feel tha’t foe question disgraced foe lips that • shaped it.' Two cities were sleeping pn foe lip of a volcano. Others did not see or know, but Abraham did, and it drove him to his knees. TH® HONOUR OF GOD. There is ope motive more. Abraham’s prayer was prompted by jealousy for foe honour of God. Anything that seemed to impugn the equity of the Almighty was intolerable. Two cities wrapped in the red winding-sheet of shame. Thousands of men and women, overwhelmed in irremediable ruin! Could foat be right ? The very question spurred him' to a passion of prayer, for better anything foap that God’s name should suffer. Here in .foe world’s grey dawn is a great soul pressed with foe question foat should grip every good man’s heart,

Goodness, kinship, neighbourliness, jealously for God’s good name—these are foe motives of the ministry of intercessory prayer. Brit are’we of foe company of the world’s intercessors. We work, we give, but do we pray?