The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-15
ON THE LORDS PRAYER
THE REV. T. j. VILLERS BEGINS A
SERIES OF SERMONS.
The Pattern Prayer Analysed by the
Minister Who shows the Mean
ing of Each Part.

series of sermons on 1.-THE Lords Prayer"
He said in part:
"On the mount our Intercessor and High
Priest was teaching His disciples how 10
pray. he mad been condemnlng theatrical
ana pagan prayer. Hypocrites loved 10
pray, standing IN the synagogues, like the
Phailsee who struck an attitude in the
temple, or to assume prayerful position
at the corner OF broad streets, where they
might be visible from four directions. By
way OF contrast Jesus urges secrecy and
sincerity in our devotions. He does not
forbid public prayer, but teaches that
prayer in the social meetings of the church
will be real only when offered by people
who know the meaning of the inner cham
Der and the shut door.
Nor are We TO use vain repetitions, like
the heather who think that they are heard
Tor their much speaking. There Is diff
Terence between much speaking and much
praying. We may speak mucn and pray
little. From morning till noon the priests
of Baal cried, o Baal. hear u.s.. That was
vain repetition In India to-day Hindus re-
peat the name of their god, Ram or Krish-
ma, hour after hour. They think that so
much merit accrues for SO many thousand
prayers, and so they go on saying Ram,
Ram, RAM, counting their repetitions by
means of beads. There are los beads on
string. and 1t is not an uncommon thing for
these devotees to pray through that string
one thousand times night. When Roman
lists repeat their Ave Maria or Pater Nos
ter, counting each repetition by slipping
bead OF their rosary, what do they more
than the heather? Such vain repetitions
must not be COMPOUNDED with prolonged
prayer. Our Lord himself continued all
night in prayer. Nor is His condemnation
of vain repetitions condemnation of that
man who. under the stress of deep emo
ton, finds the same words leaping Spon-
taneously from his soul to his lips; for this
teacher came from God when in Geth-
semane he offered applications with
strong crying and tears, prayed a third
time, saying the same words.
Unlike hypocrite and heather, after
this manner pray ye. This is not the
seventeenth of John. This is a pattern
prayer for disciples. 1t is a model. not a
mold. 1t reveals the true spirit of prayer
reverent and filial confidence. 1t teaches
the proper order in prayer-Gods name
and kingdom and will first. our bread and
pardon and deliverance last.
I'VE are taught to approach the throne
majestic address: Our Father who art in
heaven FatherhoOd implies kinship. God
has communicated to us His life. He has
made us partakers of the divine nature. 1t
is the knowledge Of this relationship that
makes us want to pray. Scientists tell us
that back OF all natural phenomena they
find intelligence and force. But cold,
cleaning intelligence kindles no prayerful
emotions. Infinite power may awaken ter
ror, but no prayer. We shall not pray, IL
compelled to cry: oh, infinite mind, COM
only begotten Son came from the bosom
of the Father. He uncovered the heart
of God and showed il to be father s
mind or power but on Gods bosom, and
confidently say, Our Father.
"Fatherhood means love: 1t pledges
providence, and 1t also involves authority.
Modern sentimentalism has partly robbed
God of the old-fashioned notion of author
ity. 1t is not so much the fatherhood of
God now as the papahood of God. Our
Father enactS laws for His household and
He has right to expect obedience. He
imposes discipline and He expects submits
sion.
these wonderful words teach sonship.
Only children can say, Our Father Men
are not sons of God by virtue of creation.
He has made many things that are not
children. Vegetables are not children. Not
even all created intelligences are children.
To which of the angels said He at any
time, Thou art my son?' To men in His
own generation Jesus said: Ye are of your
through faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal iii, 26 }
"Sonship is evidenced by three unmis-
taxable signs-faith in Christ as the Mes
power '' of life and right conduce as the
fruitage of the divine nature which God
imparts at the new birth. Whosoever be-
lieveth that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God q John V, II. Every one that loveth
is born of God q John iv. d. Every one
that doeth righteousness is born of God
q John ii, 20. In this the children of
devil-whosoever doeth not Righteousness
Is not of God, neither he that loveth not
his brother Q John iii, 10).
IF children, then heirs-heirs of God and
| joint heirs with Christ. Jacob Strawn and
William Reynolds were standing in the
dome of the Statehouse at Springfield:
Looking out over thousands of acres of
waving grain, the former proudly said: Il
| own them ALL Pointing heavenward,
| Reynolds asked: How much do you own
up there? Strawn was not an heir of God.
He was a millionaire here, and a pauper
there. If we are children We are joint
| heirs with Christ, rich without a limit to
| our wealth, blessed without boundary to
! our bliss
when we say Our Father that means
Christian brotherhood. We cannot be
| cyclists or monopolists in prayer. The
brotherhood of man has been the dream OF
| philosophers and reformers. 1t has haunt
| ed them like the memory of some lost
| paradise. They have tried to make men
brothers by philosophy and legislation
| They have taught that difference of wealth
| and birth is an accident, but the accident
remains. Governments have declared equal
rights and privileges, but men have never
yet been legislated into equality or unity
| Agitators are still trying to have brother
hood without Father. They affirm that
| since the welfare of all is the welfare OF
| each, self-interest is the key to brother.
hood. The mad rush of competition mega.
| tives the doctrine.
| 1.-THE possession of a common life in Goo
is the only effective and universal bond
| 1t is the death of un-Christian sectarian
| ism, leading us to recognize as our brother
| every man who is born of God, no matter
| what the color OF his skin or the angle OF
| his face. II insures reciprocity of sympa
thy and love and helpfulness. Whose ha:
| this worlds goods will not shut up his com
| passion when he beholds his brother il
| need Believing il sin to die rich, he will
| think ii a sin to live rich. Being brother
| of his employees, the wage Garner will no
demand six days pay for five days serv
| ice In proportion Christ's ideal o.
| brotherhood is realized, the kingdom o.
God will come. Enlarging the brotherhood
getting Gods life into men. will end strike!
| and furl all battiefiags in the parliament
| of man, the federation of the world
"Our Father is In heaven. That Is Hi
| is our lodge and heaven our home. BY thu
| immortality and accountability of sonshil
| we are linked to that world of light w,
| must read life In the light of heaven W.
| must fashion our conduct by the laws o
the fatherland. Cultivate heaveny-mind
| edness. Set your affection things above
| Be merciful In his last illness Spurgeol
received from Gladstone an affectionate
fraternal message of sympathy. Writing
in reply he said: Yours is a word of low
such as those only write who have beel
into the Kings country and have seel
much of His face AS we go about doinl
good. cheering the faint and raising tn
fallen. let show by our words of Low
that in thought we often visit the King
country. whence, seeing much CT His face
we return to earth to prove by the beaut
and tenderness and benevolence of on
spirit that We are the children of our Faith
er who is in heaven"
BACK IN HIS PULPIT.