The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-01-05

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teristic of the last days, when perilous
times shall come, that the great rlass
of protesting Christians shall be
lovers Of pleasure more than lovers
Of God;" and the certain result fol
lows: Having a form of goodness,
but denying the power thereof" q
Tim. 3:4, 81. 1t is as true now as it was
eighteen hundred years ago, and it is
true of the protesting Christian as it
is of the fashionable woman who makes
no profession, that ''she that liveth in
pleasure is dead while she liveth" Il
Tim. $50. And in spiritual things as
we'll as in temporal, "he that loveth
pleasure shall be a poor man" prov.
21:1O.
! Closely connected lUitb this, pride
puts up an efectuaL barrier in the
tUGy Of Gods mercies. Then they cry,
but none giveth answer, because of the
pride Of evil men. 'Surely God will
not hear vanity; neither will the AL
mighty regard it" Dob 35:12, 49,.
Though the Lord be high, yet hath
He respect unto the lowly; but the
proud he knoweth afar off, Psalms
1885,. He knows them, and those
that walk in pride He is able to abase"
Daniel 4 81. Twice in the New Testa
ment it is said: God resisteth the
proud, but giveth grace unto the hum
BILE" DANES As; 1 Peter $50
5. Indifference IN our prayers in
Stantly stops ther flight heGUentVard.
Too many of US are like che king of
Israel, who was told Dy the dying
prophet to take his arrows and smite
upon the crown: "And he smote
thrice, and stayed" q Kings 1873.
No wonder the man of God was wroth
with him, for his laziness showed that
he cared very little for the divine help
that he sought. He was like the man
of whom our Lord tells US, who,
through his own remissness, could
set nothing before a friend coming to
him at midnight and out of the way.
Thus aroused from his negligence, he
goes to one who is able to supply him a;
and then, says Jesus: Though he will
not rise and give him, because he is
his friend The has forfeited a right to
that title yet because of his impor-
tunity he will rise and give him as
many as he needeth. And I say unto
you, Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened IL you" duke IL:
5 81. The sooner we come to the con-
clusion that there is no other road to a
true revival but through believing and
im~portunate prayer, the better it will
be.
6 An unfOrgiUing spirit 1CiU surely
Kill prayer. when we stand praying
forgive, If ye have aught against any,
that your Father also which is in
heaven may forgive you your tres
passes. But if ye do not forgive,
neither will your Father which is in
heaven forgive you your trespasses"
mark 1925, 26). There is nothing
more solemn and searching than this
in the Bible, and nothing, perhaps that
more thoroughly reveals the secret OF
the weakness Of so many Christians.
1t is Just as true as the assurance that
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ saves,
and he that refuses or forgets to obey
it has too much reason to fear that he
can readily understand why his pray
ers are not heard.
z. Contempt for or neglect Of Gods
Uord oUiH make prayer both worthless
and ofensiUe to the Holy One WhO gaze
the rUOrd. HE that turneth away his
ear from hearing the law, even his
prayer shall be abomination" prov.
$3.50. OF Israel, he says: "They re
fused to hearken, and pulled away the
shoulder, and stopped their ears, that
they should not hear. Yea, they made
their hearts as an adamant stone, lest
they should hear the law, and the
words which the Lord Of Hosts hath
sent in His Spirit by the former proph.
cts: therefore came a great wrath from
the Lord Of Hosts'' (Z,ch. I'll, 12)
We know that "all Scripture is given
by inspiration of God" q Tim. 3:16),
and it is impossible for Him to accept
the prayer of those who do not treat
all Scripture as of divine authority.
In a day when prayer is largely
without power, it becomes every lover
of Christ and of souls to inquire &C.
riously into the cause of the failure.
Speaking after the manner of men,
and from the human side, it demands