The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-29
UTTERED FROM THE PULPIT.
ReYs. Mcconnell and Rondthaler Adj
dress Their New Congregations.
Significant Sermon by Rev. John Alabaster
--AChurch Dedicated Distinguished
Friend in the Quaker Pulpit.
a PASTORS INTRODUCTION.


The Newly Appointed Pastor of Roberts
Park Church on the Value of Prayer
Rev. L H. Mcconnell, the newly appointed
pastor of Roberts Park Church, began the duties
of his pastorate yesterday morning. Before be-
ginning his sermon he explained that he was
suffering from sore throat, and was hardly able
to preach but that many had doubtless come
there that morning because he was the new pas
tor, and it was perhaps for the same reason, be-
cause he was the new pastor, that he would at
temp to preach He spoke without notes or
manuscript, taking as his text Matthew vii, rs:
Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto You.
For every one that asketh receivethi and he that
seeketh ndeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened.
He said: The Master is teaching upon the all
important subject of prayer. Jesus Christ him
self believed in it. He taught His disciples how
to pray, and He Himself practiced prayer, and
whatever other people in His time thought Of
prayer He Himself believed in it fully I do
not know anything about the philosophy Of
prayer but believe God answers prayer.
enter into no further research. 1 believe it
firmly, and there l rest it If blind
man denies the light because he does not see it,
testimony of him who has never prayed weighs
nothing against the testimony of multitudes who
have prayed and had answers to their prayers
Those who have the most faithfully practiced 1t
In the fierce exigencies of life have the most
faith in prayer
In order that our prayer may be eifectua
certain conditions must be met. There is
latent power in gunpowder, but in order to get
it developed certain conditions must be met. So
in prayer, we must come with penitence in our
hearts, and with confession on our lips, and with
these conditions the higest power of prayer will
be developed Tibet indicates that it is
son that prays, not an alien 1t is son VINO
asks bread. 1t is result of the washing away
Of original sin and the renewal of the Holy
Ghost. If yon are son in the sense OF this text
you are a son because God has forgiven you
your sins, and your name is entered on the Book
of Life. The fatherhood of God is the basis of
your prayer. Your petition is not the petition
of servant at the feet of master; it is the cryof
child in the ear of the father Jesus, who uttered
these words, said little later Our Father
1 enjoy exceedingly the doctrine of the father
hood Of one greater than my father could be if
living upon the earth This doctrine lays its
hands upon us all, and when you say Our
Father you pray for every child of God every
where upon this planet A son does not ask for
everything-for bank stock government bonds,
for political power. He asks for the essentials
of life for bread and fish, Ask not for every
thing, but for good things. God is the omnis
Gent judge Of what are good things for u.s. in
our weakness we are not ADl6 TO Judge OF WnaC
is good for ourselves Gods will done, you will
have good things and only good things Ask and
you shall receive He doesn't say you shall re-
ceive the moment you ask, but we are to pray
and abide Gods time for answering our prayer.
A boy asked his father to take him to
see fine picture in gallery on
a dark and dismal day. The father
said no, not to-day, my boy He took him on
day Of sunshine, and he saw the magnificent pic
lure in all its glory resplendent in the sun. Had
he taka hn hau VIII cd tn on "a
not have seen the beauties of the picture God
has his days of sunshine, and he will answer our
prayers when the answer will mean the most
Gods days are we'll chosen. Keep asking. Too
many of US have failed at this poiut. We have
asked once, and the blessing has not come. We
have asked God to convert our children, and it
has not come, and we have ceased. Keep ask
ing, and he will send his spirit to move upon the
uncOnverted son and the unconverted daughter.
He does not need to be wrestled with to forgive
men their SINS He sent His Son into the world
to save you, and He is willing to convert you.
And so with all spiritual blessings He is willing
to give them. He is just as able as He is willing,
and there He differs from earthly parents.
God has always been doing much more for us
than we ask Him to do. The sun does more than
cause the vegetation to grow. 1t gives warmth
and light 1t paints the beautiful pictures we
see all about us God gave His son to die for
the race, a thing the race had never asked Him
to do. Jonn Wesley's mother had husband
who had not sense enough to keep out Of jail for
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mathematics and their classics. She prayed for
them to be converted And from that prayer
came John Wesley, the evangelist, to awaken
the conscience Of Europe The prayer was
answered much more than she asked. The
church that son founded is the greatest in the
United States and it is going on, growing greater
and greater. We do not know what God will do
for this church. We are just beginning I think,
to cut the shore line and go out into the deep.
When the answer does not come to your
prayer the fault is in you, not in God When
the Atlantic cable was being laid there was tele-
graph communication through the cable from
the shore to the ship that was paying the cable
out over her stern. Suddenly the messages
from the shore ceased. Then they began slowly
the task of taking up the cable and keen and
practiced eyes scanned it carefully as it came
back into the ship At length little piece Of
iron was found sticking in the side, and they
said, there's the flaw They paid the cable back
and again the messages came from the shore
and answers were sent back from the ship.
Brethren, if God is not answering your prayers
there is a flaw somewhere. Keep the cable
clear.
AT THE TABERNACLE CHURCH.