Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-29
TRUE PRAYERS SIMPLICITY,
SECRET DEVOTIONS SHALL BE
OPENLY REWARDED.
DR.. Gilbert Tells How to Pray, Draw
ing His Lesson From Tho Ser
mon on the Mount-BIemish
of HypOcracy.

Religious Education.
CONTENT. 1t may be that Jesus did not
attempt any order In His sermon on the
mount-that He did not intend TO make one
part involve or strengthen another part
But there is, nevertheless, designed or 9TH
erwise. q beautiful progress in His thought
Allowing as the theme of the whole as
course, this 1.-The Model Man, or the True
Christian we have seven subheads, thus
His Lot OF Blessing" His Worth 10 the
World" His Code of Morals I'M
Checks In Religion" His Intercourse WIN
Men," His Purpose in Life" HIS secret
Of Stability The checks are OF t%9 linus nSE
our lesson to-day is the second under NY
pocrisy, being preceded by alms-sNlns a nxt
followed by fasting. With such a cSonmntinai
the passage hts in perfectly as a 4osiGGaaii
section OF this immortal sermon, a nloGei
both in its structure and thought; WHICH
every preacher may study with pr9Hti lad
PRIVACY. The real motive Whlch isu
Jesus to speak to His disciples on me suS-
Ject OF prayer appears in verses . am ta
The greatest blemish in the tGIigloLs ~
of that time was hypocrisy. All men prv pr.
fessed to be religious-they would nave
been shocked at the very thouBht o. q
profession. But their religion was 49,
nal and formal Matt. XXlli:Zo,: d met
Iretense for the purpose OF galnihS r1sus'
Jesus endeavored to make men seLu,He,
10 make their religion q mater primary
of the heart (Matt. Xil:SD- hence ~ ~
fering prayer they must not seek PUBIC
places, where the Pharisees are accustomed
10 appear luke xvili:ll), who OBTAIN IN.
deed what they seek, human applause; but
they must enter into some secret place anu
speak to God alone Oh Kings, W.. inns
does not condemn united supp!lcatlon Wnlch
Christ practiced (John, XVl:l), but osten-
tatious performances in public. Jesus de-
clares that secret prayer shall be openly re-
warded.
SIMPLICITY. Hypocrisy prompted the
Jew, not only to public prayer, but TO the
use of many words. Thereby he prolonged
his devotions and exposed himself for q
longer time 10 those who might be near.
The same petition was repeated many
times verse .. All this was disapproved
as unnecessary, foolish and inappropriate
Indeed, it was a heathenish practice u:
Kings, xviii $500, indicating a lack OF
genuine faith and therefore offensive to
God. 1t should he borne in mind that pray
er is not an attempt to inform the Al
mighty. or even to arrest His attention.
He knows before one begins all the needs
tverse 81 and can hear the ~faintest whisper,
uttered in a quiet place. The fewest words
in expressing the hearts. desire are most
acceptable TO Him. Indeed, the prayer con-
sists not in the words at ALL, but In the
disposition flames, i:6). To Illustrate the
simplicity and brevity, as well as the scope
and order of the true prayer. Jesus gives
a form. lie does not mean that this form
and no other shall always be used, but
that 1t outlines or indicates the manner
and matter.
CHILDLIKE. In this form the petitioner
is instructed in the beginning to assume
the spirit and attitude of a child. He must
not approach as some mysterious power. or
merely as the creator, ruler and judge, but
vance over heather n even Jewish
thought. The Old Testament had many
Guiding the idea of mercy eek, xx:6); but
It was reserved for Christianity to inculcate
The tilial spirit tRom., yiii:l5,. However
the Christian must not degrade. the Deity.
by thinking of Him as a mundane being,
the error of many r~elisionists of that time,
for He has His home in heaven-a spiritual
the suppliant must not come alone, but as
a member of the household of God, desiring
for all his brethren what he seeks for
himself. Every child must ask for all the
children. Prayer must be in the plural
number, not in the singular, a united not
a personal request: Individual needs must
opening words. Our Father. without
which nothing could be said rightly.
SOVEREIGNTY. Having by this invoca-
attitude toward God and other Christians
sire expressed before all others? The es-
verse IW. This is absolute in heaven,
among the pure spirits who live in bliss
psalm, ciii;29. But alas. among men the
and sought inperfectly only by the few.
The record of transgresston. beginning In
Paradise Gen, iii;ll1, extends through all
generations and lands to the present time.
A frightful record II is, dishonoring TO God,
destructive of the highest good of man.
To every pious heart there must come mex
pressible pain as the worlds sin and sor-
row are considered, and there must arise
an earnest longing TO restore what has
been lost. To bring back to earth the
of earth's Inhabitants that for thou
sands struggle in vain. THY will be done
includes every possible form and banishes
every known evil that affiicts the race.
NECESSITIES. The desire for personal
needs may find expression after the desires
for the kingdom. The individual must bs
less than the whole and vet hn must Dni
wholly forget himself. Jesus inculcates il
one short sentence great moderation
Bread" that which supports life. unmind
full of superfluities or %luxuries, daily bread
that portion required day by day with nc
request for su~perabundance; Our daily
bread" hat which the good Father deem.
10 be best; give us" not help US to earn
hut bestow 1t upon us-this is the prayer t.
be offered Cverse ID. This does not en-
demned QI. Thess- iii:lo); nor lack OF fore
thought. which is enjoined prov. vi:6)
neither does it set a premium on poverty
or pronounce against wealth, seeing TIL,
latter has come to many saints Gen.
xiii: ~, and is the legitimate outcome of
we'll regulated life Matt, vi:S3). The in
tentton OF Jesus was in this request 4
subordinate material to spiritual interests
TO reduce the anNieties concerning temper
alities Matt, vi:l@. 10 awaken a feeling
of childlike dependence; TO recognize tn,
fatherly care of God for His children. ant
cause them to rely upon His favor q. Tim.
Wild.
FORGIVENESS. Through all the fore
going there runs n strain of humiliation
implying imperfection and ill-desert, whicl
at last breaks out in a single sentence
crying tor forgiveness. our debts" GU
unpaid obligations. are defined afterwar,
as trespasses. They are the sins of omis
sion and commission that attach 10 ever,
life. Whoever fails to do what God re
quires, or does what He forbids, is guilt,
of n grave misdemeanor, which he cal
never cancel. for which he ought to sor
row and plead pardon. There is no othe
way of release from condemnation q. Johr
i:9. But the coveted blessing Is -condI
ttoned upon this that the suppliant sha
tion of mercy Verse I'D. One law mus
prcyail-God will forgive man on the ex
70 those who sin against him U.uke, xvii:3
He who prays must ask only what h
grants oversees II and 15), assured that h
Will get no more. Here is more than
philosophy, an educational principle. bot
designed 10 advance the kingdom c
TEMPTATION. The closing petitfo
lverse 49, has perplexed some people.
has been said that God would not lead HI
s s1re !, IS , nn9e1 ,Smnr2'i0 ion and u n that there
TO ask Him not to do SO Rev, iii:IN. A
old Scotch writer avoids this difficulty b
supposlng an ellipsis and supplying il thu
Lead us that we enter not into tempta
Iona recognition of the fact that me
are exposed. and that Divine guidance
needed and sufficient III. Pet, ii;9I. TIL
doubtless comes very near 10 the I'm
meaning. as the conclusion of this petitio
shows. deliver us, from eviI"-help l
when We are likely 10 be overtsken an
ensnared. John. xvii:l5J. 1t is proper
add that the word here translated tsmnts
ton IS frequently, used in the sense
place it evidently signifies solicitation
evil.
ends with an Inscription 10 God. as ~ ~
heart, whatever else for n time Z. ma
entertain. ought TO return TO Him as n