The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-09-11
The Sunday School.
BY REV. G. L. DEMAREST, DID.
LESSON FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 1886.
JESUS INTERCEDING.
John xvii. 1-3, 11-21.]
The PRAYER.
[John xvii. 1-3, 11-21.]


He was not unaccustomed to prayer. He
dwelt SO near to GoD, and was SO in COM
munion with Him that he appeared to con-
verse with him as naturally and freely as
with his disciples. Several of his prayers are
recorded in the New Testament Matthew XII.
%, 26 XVI. 80; John vi. IL; xi. Al. AZ; xii. ~,
and elsewhere). On one occasion he contin-
ued all night in prayer to GoD (Luke vi. 12).
He taught his disciples a model form of
prayer Matthew vi. 1877 which we call the
Lords Prayer. The prayer from which our
lesson is taken is the longest of all his re-
corded prayers. 1t is indeed model prayer,
plain and simple in its language, yet pro-
found and comprehensive. JESUS is our ex-
ample in this respect as in all others. If he
felt the need of prayer, much more should
we. If prayer was of use to him, we need
not question its utility. We conclude, how
ever, that JESUS never considered the utility
of his prayers. He prayed because he must
and be at peace. All true prayer, itself, an
swers the need of it. JESUS holy desire and
fervent affection expressed themselves in
the most natural way,-in instructions and
labors for mankind, and in earnest appeals
to the Father whose love dwelt in him and
inspired all his thoughts, words and works.
When the Spirit of prayer is in our hearts,
we pray not because it is of use, but because
all holy desire rises towards GOD, the true
source of righteousness and strength, when
it is exercised at all. JESUS knew that the
Father loved the disciples as truly as he did,
and that it was in the exercise of this care
for mankind, His earthly children, that He
sent him into the world, and yet he prayed.
We need not pray to insure the Divine affec-
ton for those whom we love; for the Father
loves more than we. When we rightly pray,
we pray to one who is all love and tender
ness, that the Divine affection may be freely
and effectively exercised in us. "Thy will be
DONE" Nevertheless, not my will but thine"
are formulas of all true prayer. eff we ask
anything according to His will, He heareth.
us'' Il John v. 14). JESUS was the Son of
Con sent to accomplish his will in the saliva
ton of the world, and SO he prays that his
work may be prospered of the Father. An
important crisis of this great work is at hand.
With his heart full of holy desire and affec-
tionate tenderness, he converses with the dis
ciples concerning the events that are to trans
pire, and instructs them more fully in their
relation and duties to him as their Divine
LORD, and to each other as his messengers
of the Divine truth and apostles of righteous
ness and then with overlooking heart and
unfaltering faith, he turns toward GoD and
confidently asks Him to do for him and his
disciples, and for all who shall believe their
word, and finally for the whole world, just
what he had purposed to do in the beginning
and what was already being accomplished
through him and his disciples, for whom he
especially prayed. "These things spake JE-
sUs, and lifted ap his eyes to heaven, and
saidn-what is recorded in the whole of this
chapter - the sublimest prayer that ever
reached the ear of Heaven.
Neither in the Scripture nor in tho litera-
ture of any nation can there be found acorn
position which in simplicity and depth, in
grandeur and fervor, may be compared to
this prayer. 1t could not be invented, but
could proceed only from such conscious
ness as the one which speaks here. But 1t
could be preserved and reproduced by per-
sonality so wholly devoted and conformed to
the personality of JESUS as the Evangelist
Luthardt.
He lifted up His eyes to heaven and uttered
His High-Priestly prayer: first, that His Fa-
Their would invest his voluntary humanity
with the eternal glory of which He had emp
tied Himself when He took the form of a
servant; next that He would keep through
His name, these, His loved ones, who had
walked with Him in the world; and then,
that He would sanctify and make perfect,
not these alone, but all the myriads, all the
long generations, which should hereafter be-
iieve through their word.-LJe Of Christ, II.
w. Fdrrdr.
! For Himself.-(1-3) JESUS prayed first
for himself, that he might be glorified, and,
through his own glory glorify GoD who author
lied his mission to the world. The glorifca-
ton of JESUS consisted in his exaltation to the
throne of his spiritual kingdom, when he
should be acknowledged as the true MESSIAH,
and should manifest his authority as the
Saviour of the world. This he should do
after his resurrection and ascension when he
should return in the power of the Holy Spir-
it. The Father would be glorified in the sue
cess of the Sayiour's mission,-in the saliva
ton of the world. "Herein is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit" said JE-
sus to his disciples. The fruit OF their disci-
pleship is the product of their abundant Ia
bors as apostles of truth and righteousness
in the establishing of the kingdom of heaven
upon earth. All mankind were included in
the purpose of GoD in the mission of CHRIST.
A revelation of himself to his earth-born
children was the end to, be attained. In the
knowledge of the only true GoD revealed
through JESUS CHRIST would be experienced
the eternal life, which is the fultllment of
Messianic hopes, and the complete satisfac-
ton of the profoundest needs of the human
soul. In the universal attainment of this
spiritual experience consists the salvation of
the world, and the glory of GoD for which
JESUS prayed. Did he pray in faith, nothing
doubling? Will the effectual, fervent prayer
of the righteous soul be unavailing?
tit is worth while to notice that the word
true as applied to GoD il this connection has
the same force as when applied to the vine,
when JESUS said, " am the true vine"; not
true "a opposed to the false, but real, verita-
BILE, in contrast with what Is symbolic. Chris
tlanity through the influence of the Holy
Splrit reveals GoD Immediately to the hu
man soul, and brings souls into conscious
fellowship with Him without the inlerven-
ton of type or symbol. This is the rest and
peace of Heaven; the righteousness, peace
and JOY in the Holy Spirit; the eternal life,
which CHRIST came to give to all flesh, all
mankind; and insures for all souls the holt
ness and true happiness in which we believe
God is glorifed when His trulh aud love
are seen aud felt, and when men are thereby
filed with goodness. CHRIST glurihed GOD,
not by causing men to praise hun, but by be-
ing the mediator of Cons love and truth 10
hls children. This he had done on earth
A. bnf tvb ha Nuae