The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-04
FRENCH cRuaCa bu ST. ESPRIT.
Sermon by Rev. DR.. Verren-The Efficacy OF
PRAYER.

Sermon by Rev. DR.. Verren-Thc Efficacy OF
Prayer.
At the French Protestant Episcopal church
tL'Eglise du st. Esprit West Twenty street,
the reverend pastor, Mons. A. verren, preached
from the following text John xvi, "a :-"Hitherto
have We asked nothing In nv name ask and ye
shall receive, that your Joy may be full" In his
exordum the pastor dwelt upon the comfort OF lift
ing the hands in prayer Creator in every time Of
trouble and heavness OF the heart In every ailiic-
t!on, In every position Of life when to dwell upon
the external situation or TO looK to man for
assistance were but to madden with despair,
the spirit AFTER prayerful commune with
God, was blessed with peace that words could
not express and trouble could not assail. But
it was essential that thus prayer should not
be Incomplete nor Imperfect. In the conduct Of
the apostles themselves, blessed as they had been
above all Others by communion with the Word
made nesh, human nature might learn that prayer,
unless obeying the conditions OF Christ, would not
preserve from sorrow The Saviour Is arrested, and
his disciples fee from Him. They who have leaned
on HIS bosom, eaten Of HIS plate and drunk OF HIS
scheme Of redemption necessilaed. All desert Him
save one, VINO, following afar of, sits IN the judy
ment hall OF Plate ana there denies instantly his
Saviour and his Christ but his compatrlot and his
friend ''for thou also art Galiean." The saviour
Is risen from the dead and the Victory over ss
His apostles journeying to Emmaus and lhey recog
nlze Him not He reveals himself, and Thomas de-
denies ana doubts and must feel the marks OF the
cruciflxion before he WIN believe: An, why
was this, L was because 81 Inc d mper rice
had been directed. They asked of God, but not IN
Chrst's name. aud therefore their prayers had not
full consummatlon Aud 50 WIN human nature
imperfect. We did not place ourselves IN that rea-
ton to God ana CHRIST which had been commanded.
toy may be fuii." II king loving his people and
having as prime minister his only son, SHOULD issue
ate tie bread Of Bitterness and drank he
water OF tears, should personally present petitions 70
his prime Wad sey mot oeey w0 0av
erty, disputIng with the beasts OF burden their sor
did nourIshment and hiding their wants from the
the pilcss peltng OF the storm, would they refuse
10 ask IN tue name OF that minister all things that
66he would Be denied because ne had not complied
because all would feel too acutey the misery OF their
condition ana would put overwhelming confidence
ties were slow at first to avail themselves OF Christs
mediation because they had not realized the force
| OF that mysterious promise, and the necessity OF
resting entirely upon 1t and not in anywise on
themselves We OF to-day had not that want. Of
| speculative knowledge. We had realized the fun
has mediation with Omnipotence In behalf. The
truth had been before us for eighteen hundred years
and had infrated into every civilized system. But
we failed In that absolute humility which was the
first and greatest principle oil Christianity. Sell.
nesat!on was what the present age was denclent IN;
our littleness; and until We were inclined to deny
ourselves completely we could not enter into the
exceeding love or Christ.
Again, those who prayed IN Christ's name, and
who asked OF the Father fayOrs through Him. must
ask nothing unworthy OF His dignity He who had
lived here on earth despsed life. one OF ignominy
and scorn; lie who had not where TO lay HIS head,
would not become the inercessor for requests insn
gated by pride envy or avarlce. Beyond daily
bread to sustain and the grace OF God to sanctlfy,
what could the Christian demand or gifsi But tue
| bleeding heart torn By ingratltude, the bruised
spirit worn by oppression the faintlng soul strug
cling under the load OF aiversty-these would find
which passeth earthly power and earthly comfort.
For all others their prayer was couched already by
Christ himself IN these terms:-'Give us this day
| our daily bread" and "rny Will be done.' 1t would
often happen that prayers asked ferventy and in
due spirit OF humility were not Immediately an
swered but the CHI stian must not hastily conclude
| was not lost, and He who gave would choose
| His own good time for the giving. Nay, further
| God In HIS all wisdom might answer the prayer
Indirectly, seeing that the request would be to The
damnatiOn OF the asker, and might reward the
prayer that TO all eyes would seem unanswered by O
| double portion of HIS saving grace. For God so
l his good. Wine We vain creatures Of an hour
| writhed in agony because our ignorance had not
been able to understand the workings OF lninltude
and our little wants had not been filled, that endur.
ing precious love made itself manifest IN the
ing OF the fruit trees the downfall of the RAIN in
/ the grooming and creakng OF the crowded barns,
In tile JOY or che sanr5e aud the comfort OF the set
ting IN each and oil things tnat live plainly to
i be seen Without God we were nothing with Him
everything and we could only be with Him through
Christ or what avail the sentinels on the wall II
Goa guarded not the cityr OF what avail 10 the
glorious promise OF the city If God buded not with
uss everything told the same story; our confidence
| Christ was ruin. And the avoidance OF that ruin
was simple and never falling. 'Oh Lord,r cried
| the prophet king, Tin Thee have put my trust /
snail never be conounded."