The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-13
Jesus Prays for Hls FolIowrrs.

Jesus Prays for Hts Followers.
 Jesus puts period to Ills ministry with a prayer. It is the climax to all His preaching. The circumstances arc pitiful. He Is at the edge of Gethsem- ane. at the foot of Calvary. Tot there is no note of gloom or weakness. There is not even a cry for help
 One word in the middle of he prayer is really the key to it-"For their sakes" It is a prayer of intercession. As high priest He approached the majesty of heaven. The priest of the old dispensation carried the twelve tribes upon his bosom, gravon in the precious stones of his breast-plate. The Priest of the new dispensation carried the holy apostles upon His heart. There is infinite dignity in Ills attitude. It Is so remarkable that John breaks his custom and refers to the comparatively small incident of the upturned face. There Is the repose of soul incident to the consciousness of holy work thoroughly well done. The note is one of triumph. He presents to His Father the men whom He has trained for Him.
 The marvel of this prayer is that each part of 1t seems complete and separate, but in a moment one pours all its content and force into the next, and so on until the very heights of nEdVeu are IGtChcu HE AOA self is only made that 1t may be merged into a prayer for disciples, and that in turn for Church. and that for world
 It has been called the glorifcation prayer because of its first rctition, ''Glorify Thy Son." It relates to Ills own person. Yet there is Io clement of selfshness in It. He wishes only to reflect the glory of the Father, in order that through this reflection as many as possible should know the Fa- ther as the true God. The Tt Is fin ished" of the cross Is an echo of this serene and triumphant Tt Is finished" of the prayer. This obedience. which completes to the last detail the work given by the Father, forms the basis of the petition which follows
 Jesus moves now in His prayer from self to disciples. The beginning and end of three years ministry IS com passed in fewest possible words. The commanding purpose was to make number of chosen men acquainted with God and with Himself as a Divine Messenger In this He had been su- perbly successful. His hearts desire and prayer now is that the work of His ministry may be conserved. He does not pray in general terms for the world. He prays specifically for these men. He is conscious that His own exit from the world is very near. They are to be left behind with the inval- uable deposit of His teaching. They must be kept inviolate or all Is lost. It would be a superlattve blAnder TO ask that they be taken out of the world with Himself, for the very purpose of their training was that they might re- main as the almoners of knowledge and grace-kept from evil. in tho world, but not of 1t, sanctified through truth.
 The prayer takes still another sweep, it's final and widest. When the Inter- cessor cries, Neither pray I for these alone but for them which shall believe through their word" It is u petition for the Church which is to be. Incl dentally 1t reveals the fact that there was no shadow of doubt upon Jesus's mind but that Ills disciples would make converts. As the prophet said he would, He sees His seed" and pre- longs in them His own shortened days He prays for the unity and concord of the Church. And again, incidentally He indicates that the realizationl of this ideal of harmony is the convincing arr gument to the world of the Divinity of His commission.
 The prayer Is without amen. But there Is no evidence of Interruption. Instead of being broken of, it flowers out in radiance and fragrance. There is a beatihc vision which Jesus en- treats for the men whom God had given him. His hearts desire is that they may see his glory. The cross is the golden period to this incom- parable prayer. The last affirmation is that he will declare his fathers name, but his ministry ends that hour. There are no further opportunities of preach ing. How, then, will he make declar- ation? Is 1t not by his obedience unto death?
 The Teachers Lantern.
 Some difficulties confront the read CT. The prayer Is the best misunder- stood of Jesus utterances. Spener be- lieved 1t beyond comprehension. He ouaintly said, Tt goeth beyond the meausure of faith which the Lord Is wont to impart to his disciples during their pilgrimage" For this reason He never preached upon 1t or attempt ed an exposition of 1t; but when He vas dying had 1t read to Him three times.
 At the same timeit Is among the best admired of Jesus sayings. It Is declared to have incomparable and crystalline simplicity, majestic repose, luminous transparency of thought, one flowing from the other, forming a con- nected development. each explaining what precedes or being a further de- duction. The inwardness of the East, the home of religion, seized and ex- pressed with the precision of the West, the home of science.
 The analogy of thA form and order