The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-18
ey REV. j. e oIL5ERT, 2. o.,
Secretary American Society Of Religious Education.

life. which Solomon recognized IN ria
prayer I, yei n. The dedication Of the temple
s O. KINGS, yiil;a5) And Nehemiah under
D,ylne favor, He included himself ana
ms fathers house In the transgresslons
R winch !, Israel had committed, that had
they had been afflicted. His confessions
were In the aggregate. yet with sufficient
detail TO be available. The nation had de-
parted from the commandments ltho
aecalogucl; the statutes Chose civil and
eccteslastical regulations made for the en-
iorcement OF the commandments. and the
judgments !the decisions made by the con-
had made the national .lawglyer,
REMEMBRANCE oversees s-9).-confes-
SION alone, necessary as 1t Is, does not
G cons. ier prayer y Is not nnal but a
panied and followed by the hope Of mercy,
and that Is grounded in some disclosure
% Of the character OF the one offended.
Hence ,ie having acknowledged 4the sins OF
the Almighty, spoken to Moses and treas
ured up all through ehe centuries. just
adapted 70 the case. 4 thousand years
nlemtered that God had said on leading
Israel into Canaan that If they trans
crossed He would scatter them among
fulfilled In the captivity. 1t was also re-
mcmbered that II the captives should turn
again unto God in the land to which they
might be carried. He would regard them
tLev., xxYi:40-40. This Is the right
method of all prayer--t should proceed
from sense of sin to some promise OF
COMPASSION verse 1o).-The way was
thus fully prepared. Feheiah had COM
piled with all the conditions or success
ful ap1'roach 70 The throne Of Divine
spiritual things. He had come a confessed
sinner among Il sinful people, making no
apology for the past, but recognizing the
justice OF the penalty inflicted, yet relying
at the beginning Of the national history.
lntercession upon such terms was there
fore proper. With most beautiful words
and people form like to that used ny
Moses lDeut.. ix:29). AFFLICTED though
they were, subject to a foreign power, tho
Jews who We're gathered In Jerusalen',
a remnant Of q mighty and glorious ma
ton. represented the chosen OF The Lord,
the children OF tho covenant. by whom
Gods will was to be ACCOMPLISHED ms
presentation was evidently designed 10
awaken Divine compassion,
E3NTREATY (verse 1D.-The desire OF
Nehemiah now appears, tho end which ne
sought to accomplish by prayer He did
had returned, that they might be prospersd1
in their good undertakings and protected
against their enemies. He desired, rather.
himself. to make a trip TO Jerusalem 10 70
peoples good, and he asked that GOO
would incline the king. to grant nm , PET.
mission to go on such an eFra!iu. t il
entreaty was based upon the assumption
that INC, heart Of a heather ruler might
be moved by the Holy Spirit to sener-
Gus deed prov, xxi:D, nm assumption
derived from q doctrine held through az!
tho centuries (Ezr:l., yii:gO, even from
Abraham to Paul (Acts.4 Nil;io}. .Llis oiie
feature Of the prayer exhibits me caln,
oiicity Of Judaism, whose iunaallehta!
thought was deity of unlimited ana I'M
iversal power.
RE7FI.ECTI ONS.-The prayer o. Sene-
mial, ex hiioited his strong falth ana ar,
dent piety, inusmuch as ~ WAs oitereu
.,nder many and great dlscoura gements.
First the jewish people mad by thelr
long continued sins proyokac,u1. Inc Ai,miSa,y
and brought upon themselves , i,tnu'tp 0a
able 'misfortunes, SO L tllt -, ~ soo ~ man
night Wen doubt that Too @ouIn DC n n,
XIII q them; second, ths eSpeditions had
v,nh,,iia the temple and the walls or
"a Ier,,snien. the failure OF which might
= el suamaA "a question the wisdom OF any
i nl.r me- t,ird. Artaxerxes, the king, had
llrsti .,,thnrlty to Ezra thirteen years be-
given ~, ir. might consider his inability good
lOre, n's' for refusing another request;
TeusVW, Nehemiah, was In the public SER
!l!1an' ana could hardly expect TO be re-
wv ,aosad from 1t to do what would bring no
!!, sa 10 the king. These CONSIDERATIONS.
spHhich might have influenced many, uin
NJ deterthis man Of God. he appears 70
hoyeN known what Jesus Taught mat
nrayer is always proper C1uke, XyihD.