The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-08
POWER IF PRAYER
 THEME OF SERMON
The Rev. pr. Hendrix Breaches
 at St. Johns Church.
FINE MUSICAL PROGRAMME
"Let the Words of My Mouth and the Medltations of My Heart be Acceptable In Thy Sight"
 Psalms 1914.

At St. Johns Methodist church. the Rev. w. R. Hendrix was greeted by large congregation at the morning ser- vice yesterday notwithstanding the in- element weather. A specially arranged musical programme was rendered by the choir.
 His text and sermon follows:
 Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer. Psalms, 1914
 This sentence prayer Is one of the greatest utterances of inspired men. While seemingly extemporaneous, 1t is the efforescence of previous train of devo- tional thoughts, which were all uncon- scious preparation for 1t. These thoughts began with a nature study, which lifted the Psalmist into such ecstasy of mind that he broke forth with the joyful excla- nation, The heavens are telling the glory of God and the Armament sheweth his handlwork' It must have been an occa- sion of great joy to him to find that the heavens had made common cause with him in showing forth the glory of God He seemed especially glad that though his song was heard by only few that the heavens repeated the story everywhere their lines had gone out even unto the end of the world.
 Natural Comparison.
 "To one having studied the revelation Of God in the Holy Scriptures comparison of the new revelation with the old was a most natural thing Here again his thoughts break forth in beautiful express sions of the excellencies of the law of the Lord, which is perfect converting the soul. Here too, the glory of the Lord is declared by statutes that are right re- joicng the heart, pure making wise the simple. and clean enduring forever Be- cause they show forth the excellent glory they are more precious to him than gold yea than fine gold
 But this high pitch Is too much for even the man after Gods own heart There is a break in the music and when he takes it up again he Is singing In the minor key, Who can understand his er- TOTS? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. A vision of personal imperfec- ton that is unfathomable brings him from glowing praise to humble supplcation. Thus was born this expression which must even remain a model sentence prayer.
 Theology of the Prayer. "We are indebted to the language of prayer for the profoundest revelations concerning God and the soul. It is said that a body of ministers met to formu- late a creed, and spent several days in fruitful effort to agree on the first article concerning the Deity. At last, in despair, one suggested that they pray Gods help in this work And as he led the assembly in prayer he used practi- cally the words that they afterwards adopted as expressing their conception of God. The only definition we have of eternal life was given to the disciples by Jesus in his intercessary prayer.
 'The two essential facts of revelation appear in this prayer. A depravity that has polluted the stream of life at its source and clings to the on-fiowing cur rent manifesting itself in words and acts that transgress the perfect law of God. The words of my mouth are sinful; alas the meditation of my heart are also wrong. David, like all true men, recog- nized the fact that men are smitten with bent to backshliding which no human power can overcome. But with the Lord there is plenteous redemption The most sir -fettered soul on earth may defy his shackles when in faith he looks to the bi
 A True Religion. Isaiah rebukes the people who honor God with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Him. There was no fault to find with the form and ritual of those whom Jesus called whited sepulchres. It is quite possible for man not only to maintain, but even cherish the forms of religion while his heart Is exercised by wicked desires. form of religion David had acquired; and this prayer is an earnest cry to God that his heart and lips may speak the same lan- guage That his religion may be thor ough and true.
 Life's Goal.
 "To be acceptable In Gods s sight, Is the one good to which every soul should strive. There and there alone can be found peace of mind and heart.
 Nor let any one feel that in seeking this good he is pursuing some vain phantom that will forever mock his frutless en- deavor.
 Every one from the kindergarten to the senior class who is applying himself to do the bidding of our divine Teacher, Is acceptable in His sight. There Is margin enough between the finite and the infinite for eternal development, but every step from the first to the last is taken with his genuine and unreserved approval