Connecticut western news., 1879-03-12
Prayer and its Efficacy.

Extract from a sermon by the Rev.
 George H. Hepworth.
 "Master, Master, we perish, was the
 text selected by Mr.. Hepworth as the
 basis of sermon on prayer. The inei-i dent that is indicated in the words of our 1 text, he said, came at the close of very busy day. Jesus had not only been preaching to the multitude, but He had been called to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind and hearing to those sMho were deaf. Pressed upon by the multi tude He asked the people to carry him to the. other side of the lake. When they had pushed out from the shore a
 little way, wearied by His exertions
 Jesus laid along the stern of the vessel
 and was soon fast asleep. The disciples gathered near Him, wondering at that
 marvellous power which even the laws of nature seemed to have neither the
 desire nor the ability to disobey. While
 Jesus lay in the tranquility of slumber
 all at once danger approaches from the
 side of the hilltop, and whence comes an
 unexpected gust that sweeps across the
 lake and strikes the little boat. At once
 they think of him. He is not aroused
 by the impending calamity; secure as child in his mothers arms He sleeps on.
 They, on the other hand, are filled not
 simply with excitement, but with graver
 fear, as the waves continue to rise so
 high that they threaten to engulf them.
 They rush to the after part of the vessel
 to awaken the Master-He who has given
 sight to the man that was born blind
 believing that in some way He might
 assist them in their dire extremity. With
 thorough consciousness of the danger of tbeir position they arouse Him
 with no gentle voice do they speak to Hlm, but with voice of importantly
 because their needs are great. Mas ter Master P was their cry. They knew that the moment He saw their trouble that if He had the ability He would allay it. They had sufficient confidence in Him to believe that if they could make known to Him their wants He would , meet them. They had had no experience :, of their Masters ability in such crisis ! as this. There must have appeared to ! them to be very great difference be- tween the Master saying to the dead man, "Lazarus, say unto you come forth,
 and standing on the deck of frail vessel in the midst of wild tornado. He lifted His hands toward the heavens and said, ; "Peace be still," and the great waves :, went down. Little wonder IS 1t thai when the disciples saw this great miracle they looked into each others faces ano D said. "What manner of man is this thai :, even the winds and the seas obey him. ' o The incident proves that man lnstinc,
 lively prays at some time or other
 Prayer is the natural and inevitable result of our spiritual and intellectual
 conformation. Gratitude and sense O ' dependence, our hopes for the future
 our fears for the past, all find thel 6 natural expression in the language O p prayer. It is utterly impossible for m. s mind to conceive of @ man having J. mans nature who never utters aprayer J. Prayer and praise are the music Of
 mans life they cover us with tn j. canopy of God The man who live Il alone lives wretched life. We are in Il terdependent one upon the other. It i n the law of our nature, it is the law o n our social station, 1t is the law that un k derlies all business. There is no rela d tionship that binds us to the world Ii le which we are not dependent one upol 10 the other. There comes time in ever le mans life when he will not be able t g answer the prayers of his friend. l
 has come in my experience and 1t ha ): come in yours. There comes tim when loving hands are reached out i
 vain supplication, when our tears fa 'u and we ask in vain our neighbor to d 7e that which is too great for him to dc
 When the great calamity came on tn 70 disciples on the Sea of Galilee tn Ill disciples turned to each other ln fea St and wonder, and then asked Jesus CT they lifted their eyes to Him in fear an IT. wonder. and He lifted His hands up t the Great Unseen, and, bidding the ten w. pest be still, even the winds and the ses
 OU6y0u
 he Some man tells me that he canne o1 understand the philosophy of prayer to I do not doubt it, for it is not the onl no grave and important question that W er cannot understand !; it would then CT surprising if it were not surrounde ne with serious and grave doubts. But W b. are living ill world in which we kno le- very little. There are large numb' 'ty of other problems that are mysteries
 us. We judge of many laws simply we the result of their actions. No ms ne knows what the law of gravitation le' We simply know that it is law and V en act upon it. I judge of prayer main en by its power in results, and yet I wou ID. not have you think it is bounded by o1 eEy senses. If have longing for pray Ia ia1 then it is an argument that there is lo' listener. It is legitimate for me to s' TOT that the desire, the instinct, the impul alo of prayer was placed within me by G' Ter for legitimate use, and that my aspir
 tions are natural and designed for u
 enlargement of my spiritual beln
 When I look upon the sacred recor'
 which have been handed down to us m- see all over the Old Testament descri las tions of what prayer is and what it h ar done. Notably is this the case in t. at, recital of the wanderings of Moses al