The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-09
WE ARE KEPT BY
THE POWER OF GOD.

The Reverend Edmund Duckworth spcak-
ing at st. Georges Episcopal Church, ye.-
terday morning on the text. II pray not
| that thou shouldst take them out " tho
world. but that thou shoudst keep them
! from the evil St. John xvii L. He said
I in part:
Why did not Christ pray that the
disciples might be taken out of the worjdr
Would II not have been much better for
them! They would have thus been freed
from the heavy burdens of discipleship, Tor
. ne had called rpon them to go into ali TN,
word and preach the gospel to every
| Greature. and this work must begin at
Jerusalem. where their master had himself
been crucified. lie had just spoken of tho
WORLDS hatred Of them, a hatred thar was
/ bound TO be manifested in fiercest persecu-
tlon- lie knew their future, its burdens
| sorrows, pains. martyrdoms, and we, ne
says: i pray not that thou shoudest take
taenr oqi OF the world Surely upon the face
OF H. this seems strangely out Of harmony
; With his profession of love for his disciples
| Having loved his own. which were in the
world, ne loved them unto the end His love
! did not demand the removal of the disciples
from the scenes Of suffering In the world
| nor from their participatons in that suf-
best for
.Si. Paul says: For our light affection.
which IS but for a moment. worketh for US
Il far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory. For, as the sufferings of Christ
abound n US, so our consolation also
abouhdeth by Christ
est. Paul had prayed for the removal of
| the thorn in his own flesh. but his prayer
| was unanswered in so far as its removal Is
[ that 1t might be taken away. The only
answer was My grace is sufficient for
t thSs; IN, The description of st. Paurs
| self when speaking TO Ananias: i will show
hun how great things he must suffer for my
MANY Christian people have this idea
| dominant in their minds-that the great
purpose OF God concerning them is 10 bring
| OF sorrows and toll. this vale of tears and
PAIN. into the land Of everlasting rest,
where day without night they will feast in
| his sight, ard eternity seem as day.
| Shrinking from the worlds temptations and
shuddering at the sight of the worlds pow
| erty and sin. they long to clap their glad
wings and scar away. and mingle with the
| blaze of day. Yet their master and Lord.
Wnen IN the upper room. prayed not that his
disciples might be taken out of the world,
and later that same evening, in the garden
| of Gethsemane. he prayed concerning his
| let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not
| as | WILL but as thou wilt
IF the disciples OF Christ are the light Of
the world ana the salt of the earth. surely
| they are needed upon the earth, thai the
darkness may be scattered by their pres
| ence, and that their cleansing and preserv-
| Ing, powers may be made manifest in the
| midst OF the worlds corruption and death.
| The intense needs of the world must pro-
Guce In them, II they really his disci-
| Piles. more intense life and an invincible
| vigor. How could the purpose of Christ be
| the world? They were to be his witnesses
and their witness was to DO In the world
| beginning even at Jerusalem. 1t was not to
| be merely the witness of the lips but the
| witness Of their daily living. Hence the
vast Importance of the latter portion OF
| this prayer-.but that thou wouldst keep
| them from the evil How glorious their
1 living and witness would become as they
| were delivered from the evil that is in the
| world Hfted above its selfshness and cor
! rupton and bondage lifted into the glori-
GUS liberty of the children of Cod This is
| the great END OF the manifestation of Christ
| that he might destroy the works of the
| devil. that he might deliver us from ali
| evil He taught US to make this our daily
| prayer-'Delive- us from evil -
Let us never forget that the power that
| keeps from evil is outside of ourselves He
who onered this prayer gave himself for
our sins that he might deliver Us from This
present evil world. according to the will OF
God and our father. Note the words that
he might deliver us from this present cyii
world. not out Of. but from. We are to be
In the world. but not of the world. In this
We are TO be kept by the power Of God No
device Of our OWL no shrewdness, no eley-