The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1872-02-07
For THE CENTaAI PRESBYTERIAN.
THE MAN OF PRAYE2..

, Jesus of Nazereth was suitably named BY
the prophet "Wonderful" Is. tx: 6, HI
was wonderful in every aspect of his char
acter. Perhaps no feature of his history il
more interesting and instructive to contem
plate than to view hin as man of prayer
Some of his disciples have been much gifted
with the Spirit of prayer, and have been
greatly admired by the pious on account Of
their heavenly gifts. Payson was eminent
in this respect. Through the greater por-
ton of his life he closely besieged the
throne of Divine grae. He was highly
gifted both with the language and Spirit Of
prayer. A gentleman in writing of him to
a friend said, IF PaySqn visits you, get him
to preach, and by all me ms get him to pray"
1t was said that he 81 ned, as it we're, to
bring heaven down to his prayers.
If then some of his g. have been so
gifted in this resneos .san Of it
have been so useful, 60 beloved, what
i must nave Deen Cne MI tcf ntsnS6lI DIS a man
of prayer? How intt esting it must have
been to see his heaven radiant countenance
when he was at praye., TO hear his 'appro-
pirate petitions, his feryen5a appeals and urgent
entreaties. What privilege to have been
one of the circle for whom he was praying
Blessed are the eyes that saw him, and the
ears that heard him at prayer And blessed
are we, who, by the help Of imagination and
with the eye of faith, are privileged to look
through his history and view him at his de-
votions.
From the record left of him, we have
every reason to believe that he was man of
prayer from the time he could speak until
he closed his work on earth. The brief out
line of his history which we have in the gos-
pels depicts him at prayer at least fifteen
times. This is enough to assure us that
prayer was the, constant habit of his life.
l. He is first presented to us at prayer,
at the very beginning of his ministerial
work: "Being baptized and praying, the
heaven was opened" Luke iii 81.
2. He next appears at prayer in the
course of his sermon on the Mount when
he first delivered the "Lord's prayer" p
Matt. vi: 8.
| 3. Later in his history, on different oc-
| casion, we find him repeating the same form
of prayer with slight yariation.) Luke ii: /.
4. About the beginning of his miracles,
after great success, he goes out into noun
tain, near Capernaul., a great while before
| day, to pray. Mark j: 80.
5. When his enc lies were powerfully
stirred up against hiT, he spends whole
night in a mountain, Sarobably near Jerusa-
lem,} at-psgyc5, I'D = following day calls
his twelve apostles. Luke vi: u.
s. At another time his history presents
him in the wilderness praying. Luke v: 10.
7. At another time the scene is Jesus
alone praying. Luke tx: 13.
s. Again, the scene is laid with Jesus
performing miracles, and surrounded by a
great multitude. A few mothers are pre-
senting their infants, asking him to put his
hands upon them and pray. Matt. xix:
1915.
9. After feeding the five thousand with
the five loaves, we find him Withdrawing in
the evening to mountain near the Sea of
Galilee, and spending the greater part of the
night IN prayer. At the fourth watch of the
night, (about o'clock A. M.,) he came to
his disciples, walking on the sea. Matt.
xiv: 20.
10. At the grave of Lazarus, deeply sym
pathizing with the bereaved, we hear him
groaning, probably mentally praying,) and
then making prayer of thanksgiving. Jno.
XII: 33, SO, Al, AZ.
II. The next scene of prayer is upon a
mountain near the Sea of Galilee, probably
at night-at the time of his TRANSPORTATION.
"He took Peter, John and James, and went
up into mountain to pray; and as he
prayed the fashion of his countenance was
altered, and his raiment was white and glis-
tering." Luke tx: %, 20.
12. Next, the scene is probably in the
temple, few days before his death. He
prays, and is answered with an audible voice
from heaven. Jno. xii: II, %.
Is. The fullest of all his prayers on re-
cord is that one just after he had instituted
the Supper, and at the close of his last ser.
mon. Jno 17th chapter.
Il. Next, the ne is in the dark retiret
walks of Gethsemane, perhaps at midnight
Alone, at little distance from Peter anG
James and John, at the critical period o.
redemption, with the most urgent entreaty
and yet with submission to the Divine will
he prays three times. Matt, XVI: 80, A.
Is. Last of all, on the cross, he prays fOl
his enemies, "Father forgive them &C., an(
then prayerfully commends his spirit int
the hands of his Father. Luke xiii: "a
46.
After the resurrection, on four occasions
we find him pronOuncing blessing upor
his disciples. 1t was the last act of his lifC
on earth, to pronounce blessing on his fol
lowers: "And He led them out as far as tt
Bethany, and he lifted up his hands an(
blessed them. And it came to pass, while
he blessed them, he was parted from them
and carried up into heaven" Luke xiv