The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-11-23
THREE LoAvES OF BREAD.
An Illustration of One of the Pan
ables in Luke.
The Sermon Of Or, Scudder, at the Mad.
son Square Church, Prepatory to
the Week Of Prayer.

Luxe llth, 0-l3. ms parable, as we
see, is attached to and naturally follows
upon that most wonderful comprehen-
sive and beautiful of all petitions, our
Lords prayer. John the Baptist had
been teaching his followers how 10 pray,
and the disciples of Christ wishing not
to be behind hand in any matter of i'm
portance, and stimulated no doubt by a
sincere desire to profit by 1t, came to
the master with the request, Lord teach
us to pray as John also taught his dis
oiples. After complying with their re-
quest and giving them form which
serves rs n most perfe outline for every
prayer that may ever be offered, he fol-
lows 1t up by this parable to enforce,
encourage them In, the duty of prayer.
The parable itself Is so plain both in Its
premise and conclusion. It's statement
and it's application; SO simple, clear,
natural and beautiful in ali its details,
that it not only commands our admira-
tion. but explains to us lite design with
force and lucidity that could not be
surpassed. The first two verses intro
duces to us man, who goes to a neigh
boring friend at midnight. with an APP
plication to borrow three loaves Of
bread TO supply the wants of visitor
who had come Unexpectedly upon him at
that unreasonable hour.
Night travelling is common practice
in the East, even to this day, to avoid
the heat OF the sun; there was therefore
nothing strange IN this arrival; and his
reason for coming was because he had
nothing to set before his friend, which
his duty as host required him to do, but
for which 1t was impossible for him to
make provision at that hour.
The expression, three loayes, gives
life and reality to the transaction, for a
man would naturally ask for definite
number, and MS one suggests in explana-
ton, zone for the guest, one for the host
and the third for The sake of honor" or
as we express 1t, "fcr manners" On the
words, have nothing and therefore
must have, hangs the whole teaching Of
the parable, prayer, importunate prayer.
The answer to the request as found in
trouble, the hour Is inconvenient, the
door shut, children in bed, cannot rise,
equivalent to, | will not: all being
wildly before us, the difficulties in the
way of complying with the request.
But, the friend at tue door is persistent,
he will not leave, the knocking is con
tinued, and at last in sheer self-defense,
the master Of the house rises, supplies
his need and gives him all he wants. lie
LA hananua ha fa IL fri.
he certainly should have taken this
into consideraiion-but because of his
Importantly. This was the element that
prevailed and the main principle that
Christ would have us understand.
And now comes the application OF that
parable, in veTes $40. Christ had Just
shown the power and success OF impOr-
tunity, as among men, and now adds.
IL too will be influenced in the same
manner, ask and it shall be given. that
is. keep asking, keep seeking, keep
knocking, perish In II. for that is the
force of the tense in all these verbs; and
you shall receive for the result, depends
upon the universally recognized truth
that every one that nsketh receiveth,
and am just as much under the control
of that principle as man." 1t is a law
which knows of no exception, and there
fore no effort in this direction will prove
Intellectual or useless.
The 18th, 18th and 18th verses are now
introduced to show us by II comparison
how unreasonable IL is tor us to even
suppose for a moment that God will not
grant us our requests, and how much
more ready lie is than man to hear and
bestOw his gifts. No earthly father
would so mock and trle with his
hungry son as to point him to stone,
which in its rOundness resembles loaf,
when he asks for bread; no one would be
so unnatural and cruel rs to suggest u
serpent because it resembles a fish, or
an (unhatched) scorpion because 1t re-
sembles an egg; and II ye who are evil,
aud thus might be expected to come
short in your duties would not be guilty
of so mean and deceptive an act, how
much less the great, the good, the per-
feet, loving Father In Heaven. II we
know what is good for your children,
and prompted by your love for them,
will bestow upon them that good, how
much more will He who is possessed u
infinitely greater benevolenOe and con.
trolled by an infinitely higher wisdom
give the Holy Spirit, the sum and sub
stance of all good, to them that ask Him
The lesson which Is set before us In
this parable is the duty of prayer. Ash
and we shall receive, seek and We shall
find, knock and it shall be opened unto
you, comes as muOn TO us IN the shape
of "a command MS Il promise, and If w
would secure for ourselves supply o
those things, which are essential for oul
temporal, spiritual and eternal comfort
ii we would live and thrive, and hop
and enjoy ourselves In this world a
God designed we should when he Gre.
ated us, our only way is to yield obedi
eDce to this command, Just as we secur
for ourselves the rewards and benefit
that are attached to any other comman,
by fulfilling the requirements OF tina
command. Obey the laws of your ooun
try and you will never fall into the hand
of the policeman, or become acquainte
with the inside OF a jail. Observe III
rules OF health, be temperate in eatin
and drinking, and take proper eXercis
from day to day and you will have
splendid physique; dyspepsia will neye
gnaw ut your vitals. Pursue an honor
able course In your business, have II jus
weight and n just balance in your stor,
do everything us the world says, on tn
square, and you will secure for yourse
aTeputation for honesty and right dea
ing which no suspicion can assail, and n
scandal can destroy. Work hard TO full
the task that is assigned to you, and su,
cess Will follow the effort; study fail
fully and you will become scholar; |
firm and true to your principles, y,
kind and amiable and you will lind you
self respected and beloved by your fe
lows. And so with every other Law
stand up to and fulfil the various requlr
n oh V.rsI h.,.