The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
A BEAUTIFUL SCRIPTURE META
PHOR; CHRIST As THE RAIN.
BY Rev. Il. ID. witherspoons ID. D., LII.
D., Pastor First Presbyterian
Church, Louisville, ky.
He shall come to us as the rain.-Hosea,

He shall come to us as the rain.-Hosea,
vi, 3.
There are many beautiful metaphors in
the Scriptures illustrative of the coming
of Christ in spiritual power into the heart.
None OF them is more suggestive than this
one, and none more appropriate for any of
US to recall TO mind on some rainy day
when the Lord is watering the hills from
His chambers and enrichlng all nature
with 1.-THE river of God, which is full of
| water"
/. Christ's coming to the heart and the
rains coming to the flowers are alike in
this that each is by the sovereign ordering
of God. He visits the earth and waters
it," He sends the rain as well as the wind
out of His chambers.
Modern science has attained wonderful
knowledge of the laws that govern the
movements of the clouds. IT predicts with
signal accuracy the approach of rainfall or
drought. Far beyond all that was con-
ceived of in Jobs day can it number the
| clouds in WISDOM but it is as powerless
now as then TO "stay the bottles of heaven
when the dust groweth into hardness and
the clods cleave fast together" We are as
dependent upon God now as then for the
al anu llC Adli, ~ liC III
ers that water and refresh the earth.
Equally dependent are we for those in
fuences of the Holy Spirit by which Christ
in all His preciOusness and graciousness is
communicated to the soul.
IL. The coming in each case affords
scope for the agency and efficacy of pray
er. While God is sovereign in His gifts, He
is not arbitrary in their bestowment, either
in nature or in grace.
EFFICACY OF PRAYER.
Materialists and positivists may cavil at
the doctrine of the efficacy of prayer and
the realm OF physical nature. Metaphysi-
clans may seek to entangle us with ques-
tons as to the possibility of change in the
! purposes of God. Physicists may discourse
TO us Of the disorder which would spring
from interruptions to the uniformity of op-
Grafton Of natures laws. We listen to them
patiently and then turn to the indisputable
facts in the case, the innumerable and we'll
attested instances in which God has heard
the prayers of His people for rain and has
answered with refreshing showers.
And so the coming of Christ with ~spiritu-
al power into the heart may be secured by
| earnest and importunate prayer. In this
case there is no limitation to the efficacy
of prayer. II may not be best in every case
10 send rain even when earnest prayer for
| 1t ascends, but that the spirit shall come in
answer to prayer. filling the heart with
peace and gladness. is always in accord
ance with the will Of God. If there is spir-
itual drought the remedy can always be
found in prayer.
Ill. The coming Of Christ in refreshing
presence and power. like the coming OF rain
in seasons Of protracted drought. is often
preceded by lightning and tempest.
Dark clouds of adversely, fierce winds OF
temptation. heavy storms of spiritual
trouble disturb and terrify the soul. Faith
is sorely tried. hope is well nigh extin-
guished in the preparatory stages in the
world by which the spirit is bringing
| Christ home TO the soul.
But when the premonitory thunders have
expended their force. when the rough
winds with their cloud OF binding dust
| have blown by. how gently and tenderly
does the hand OF in&rits love let down the