New-York tribune., 1875-10-18
PRAYER THE CHRISTIANS DEFENSE.

The Rec Ho,card CrosIy d. h., the Fourth -ireHue Ires5y
cridn church.
At the Fourth Avenue Presby yterian Church,
at Fourtl-avc and Twenty yseconds., yesterday, the
Rev. Howard Crosby, ID. d. the pastor, preached upon
the subject Of prayer the Christians defense. The
text was from Psalms. xviii, 4: " one thing have de
sired of The Lord, that will seek after that may dwell
in the house Of the Lord all the days OF my life, 10 behou
the beauty Of The Lord and to inquire IN HIS temple III
the course his Sermon Dr. Crosby spoke substantially
as follows:
This is psalm Of iubatlon on account OF divine pro
tee:ion and tho full knowledge David had Of Gods
power and Willingness 10 protect those who trusted III
siim and sought Him. What the secret OF ths con
sciousres of divine projections Nhcn you hl't S,e
motion hut wien II is opened. ald the nlalspfhg uis
clcscJ You undcrsiand il all Now tis fourth sense
the secret, and rs II wclr tlc Wiih'prihs o. You u"i
everlasting protection Men always seek protection
taey desire a guard Ask tEG nislh, - ~ ~
what hi- protection is, and he will tell you tdi II IS hl-
shrgduesS making Investments; that he buye whcll
prices are low and sells VIII they are high or that hc
loans money on bond ana moitsase tha leoeV,a M nnI
or,, hut sile interest. Politicians protect themselves
10y hedging; they shape Ecir course thdt thy may
10 another and iiy be al things 20 al parties, ai
they may their yotes Thus III men ~ so, man.
try TO protect themselves. foa h',y pr",i ga,
wealth and sacal posiion in this way bnt lou cannot
protect your souls hy u 1" may r''g,'tI w
your rlcicsano |"it tiilH ii nc Wot,, o', ~ @ ,,
sin Will in your soHls unless y" also pi"'cci
icIf 1ravcr To- God That l. tie Criists protocf on
and he feels safe in It, Philosophy will be nf no usc t.
PRAYER cato trusted to PHILOSOPHY and to his 'iocsn,
ont when lle killed. himself. ne gave the lie to both.
sad David: zone thing have desired 0i the LORD
seek After TIE seeking Is Inc true test
an nrayer ChriSt also said ">cck and ye shall ind.
and II s nnly when ne whole soul Is moving toward God
aud seeking Him that pray ami when thc SOU
gnrs out 10 meet God. God Inecs the soul. Common
thing. That is not prayer; il II only sigi Prayer
must b. earnest, and the object prayed iOr must
lac eDugit with the whole soul. when We praY
t. COL 10 make goOd, ana thcn plun5t
into the wckedncss and dissipation Of The world, we th
not seek for what pray; do not even Try 10 ht
Good and our PRAYER becomes rank blasphemy. Therc
st he unit an prayer; II is tie in prayer that
e one thins David asked That he might dwell in the
hois, of The Lord forever. BY this he dld not mean that
he might dwell in the tabernacle. His words haVca - T.
udl meaning aud he meant that he might do Gods VII
ana that NJ might he proccied by Him. He desired To
dwell IN God and to have Cod dwell IN him. and protect
him. =, = -
dwell in Christ and lie in us, they cannot harm your
enll for He will protect IL. Ia Him We ser thc beauty
and grace of Cod goodness and mercy 10y wLrh Ye ac
sustained not 50 sustained We WOuid, ny our
own grayitation descend ~ tDc lowest depths oi si
Christians he feared, do not always appreciate
this and are too apt rely only on themselves Wetan
not save ourselves God alone can do that and bIing u.
to His Joy. The joy Of tue Christians soul
who has entered Christ cannot be Dc
ecribed 10 others, but the soul that las
stan,is it, aud finds every day joy and rev hope IN
the Divine protection ae;inst every orn or tV Havc
We as Cs!ians the confidence In God that DA'l had
Do we ur!y with the wnor heart, ana earnestly seen
after what we pray Ori Is Christ in ana we ID HIN
II we 90 all this, thcn this psalm Is ours