The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-10
WORSHIP AND REWARD.

LEADING FEATURES OF 4 DIS
 COURSE AT TDATENPORT CHURCH.
 Delivered by George Foster Prentiss-
 Nothing One Sided in tho Gospel o1
 the Master.
 In the Davenport church last Sunday
 morning the pastor, Rev. George Foster
 Prestiss, delivered an interesting ser
 mon of "Worhip and it's Reward" and
 1t was listened to by large congrega-
 ton. The theme of the discourse was
 based on the Sermon on the Mount con-
 tained in Matt. 6: 5-1S. The substance
 of the sermon was as follows:
 There is nothing one-sided in the gos-
 pei of Jesus Christ. The human side
 never suffers because there is a divine
 side, and the divine side shows its di-
 vinity by helping the human when it is
 in need. The one cannot be sacrificed
 for the other. The one is the supple
 ment of the other. Strive we therefore
 to make our work and our worhip parts
 of the one grand whole, the acceptable service of God. Christian worship is a
 unit, but it has a compound character.
 Work and worship must go together. Happy is he who can detach himself now and then from things visable and attach his life and desire to things in visable God gives every disciple the right to choose under his guidance the proportions with which his character is to be made God knows that some of us need more of the visable and others more of the invioable in order that we may all reach that true standard of right eousness which is set forth in the Holy Word
 The same conduct is to be sought in worship in the doing of aims, according to the passage of our lesson. We are not to pray and be occupied with pri- vate devotions in public places where busy thoughtless throngs of humanity meet. Christ said, Corners of the streets" The proud hypocrite sought the places where four streams of busy, curious life were struggling for the mastery. They worshipped to be seen by men. In the amusement of the crowd they found their reward. Their motive was low. They got what they ought. Over against them you are put as true worshippers. You are to leave the street and seek the inner place where you are to see and to hear only God The inner chamber is the hal lowed place where God takes of holy things and shows them into the devout soul. This holy place is to be guarded. Shut the doors of thy soul, so that all the distracting machinery of secular life may not be heard. In the telephone booth there is placed only the telephone, and he who would use 1t goes in and shuts the door; So we who would talk with God must hut out foreign things, and shut in self so that we may know the holy will of Him with whom we would commune. The reason for this is that it is business like. Every well or dered counting houe or mercantile es- has its private office, where ] All important business is transacted un- disaurbed So God would have his chill l dren enter into the inner chamber. Ia | is not noise and publicity which counts with God. The noisest Christian is not , the most pious. The most | wordy disciple is not the most able ad- ! vocate. I once heard an old lawyer, | afterward judge, rebuke young law yer by saying with scathing sarcasm, i Mot every one who can make the most i noise is the wisest. Not every man who can burst the greatest number of buttons off his coat is the strongest" And the court lost its conposure because ,f the wise sally. That points the mor- al of the thought in hand. Spiritual wisdom and strength, not noise and roth, count with God.
 We are to remember that mere words are not petitions. Vain repetitions we are not to use as do the heather. We ire to pray as long as we feel our need. Prayers are not to be measured by lime. God listens lovingly and answers wisely and kindly so long as the needs ,f the soul are being poured out.
 Have you ever asked the question what is the use of praying since Your Father knoweth what things ye have leed of before ye ask Him?" The an ,wer Is plainly this: You are not to pray with the intention of changing the AImighty's will concerning you, but 'ather to change your own position and establish a new relationship with Him.