The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-10-10
SERMON BY REV.P. J. SLONAKER
Tert-.lfatt. 6:6. "Shm The Door y

September 18th, and is published at thi
time in order TO give the reader the priv
ilege of comparing il with the sermon by
DR.. w. 4. Gunsaulus, of Chicago, anC
published in the indicator September
27th. Please read and compare. DR.
| Slonaker's sermon in full is as follows:
Christ is continuing His sermon on the
mount, telling His disciples OF prayer
| prayer in the closet, secret prayer In which
the human soul comeS alone into the pres
ence of God, and finds its greater blessed
ness, its fuller faith, its deeper consecra
ton and its wider Christian life; prayer in
which man discovers ideals; secret prayer
in which the soul is drawn upward toward
strength and beauty and grace; in which
the soul gains spiritual strength for more
daring enterprise in the Lor1's work and
for greater effort toward the establish
ment of the completed kingdom of God up.
on this earth. 'Shut the door," This is
the voice of Jesus. We live in the earth.
quake, and thunder, aud fire of life. 1t ia
well that we so sometimes where we can
hear the still small voice and realize that
that event has power to speak In the midst
OF all the din of our winter life. "Shut the
door" No place is more precious to the
reason that writes books, the talent that
paints pictures, the conscience that enaCts
laws, the soul kneeling in worship, than
the place Jesus named the closet, the place
for secret prayer. "Shut the door" "Shut
the door" Brethren, Jesus wants us.
you and me, to enjoy the privilege of
prayer, and TO receive its profits, for there
is profit in prayer, present profit, constant
profit, essential profit. ''Shut the door. +"
l have lived long enough TO learn that the
only broad life, the only grand life, is a
life of prayerfulness, of communion with
God. "Shut the door" Moments spent in
prayer are the gold of character. "Shut
the door" When we are in secret prayer,
God in some way, through some channel
touches us "Shut the door" The touch
the communicated, the impaired touch of
God is what need. We are living at an
age when men want facts upon which they
can depend. The argument of facts sus-
tain our belief in the profit of prayer. We
introduce the recorded prayers of the Bible
as facts upon which men cap depend; the
PRAYER of Moses; the prayer of Paul; the
the prayer of Jesus. All. but there are
more recorded instances TO prayer outside
of the lids of the Bible than there are in
side. What is the verdict of science?
Science often assums TO be intidel aud
asthetic, but science 80 long as it consents
10 be scientific, must pray. And science is
saying to-day as never before, "Shut the
door, Let us pray" This is wise, this
is well, for nothing will 80 conform life,
with all its tragedies, as will true prayer.
The condition which God requires of us is
full conformity to His will. This is what
all true prayer secures. True prayer is not
bringing God aronnd to our will, but it is
bringing us around to His will. Jesus
said:. 81 and the Father are one.' When
l shut the door and pray in secret l am
unified, am made one with the Father,
one in thought, one in person, one in hope
of victory.
"The saints in prayer appear as one,
In word and deed and mind,
While with the Father aud the Son,
Sweet fellowship they find"
Brethren, if that is to be our expert
ence, if we appear as one. with the mind of
Christ and the spirit of the living God, let
us pray. shut the door," But when
shall ''shut the door?"
"When is the time to pray?
With the first beams that light the
mornings sky,
Ere for the tolls of day thou dOst repair,
Lift up thy thoughts ON high;
Commend His loved ones TO His watch
ful care;
Morn is the time for prayer.
And in the noontide hour,
If worn by toll, or by sad cares OPP
pressed,
Then unto God thy spirits sorrow pour,
And He will give thee rest;
Thy voice shall reach Him through the
fields of air;
Nooa is the time TO pray.
When the bright sun hath set;
Whilst yet ewes glowing colors deck
the sky;
When the loved, at home, again thou'st
meet,
Then let the prayer arise,
For those who in thy joys aud sorrows
share;
Eve is the time to pray.
When is the time for prayer?
In every hour, while life is spared to
In crowds or solitudes, in Joy or care
Thy thought should heavenward flee.
AT home, at morn and eve, with loved
ones there,
Bend thou the knee in prayer
Without exception all the good and great
have had regular hours for prayer. At
dawn David's heart rose with the rising
sun; at noon his asperations rose above the
temple he,had built; at eventide his, s,thoughts
became golden chariots in which his soul
rose upward to meet His God. Morning,
noon and night, "Shut the door," 1 wish
that we could get back just now, in the
silence of this moment and "shut the door"
Life would be purer and richer and nobler
Tor it; it would be all gain aud no loss.
ha
get into right relation with God; know God
and you will be more loving and more
forgiving spirit. "Shut the door" am
interested in the secrecy of the inner cham
Der and the closed door, the entire separa-
ton from all around us, 1t was when
Moses was alone that he saw the burning
bush. When Jacob was alone that he was
changed from the supplanter to Israel the
prince. When Joshua was alone that the
Lord nerved him for battle, When Isaih
was alone that he beheld the vision which
inspired him to service, when he said:
Here am !, send me-" When Nicodemus
was alone that the way of life was opened
before him. When Paul was alone that he
was caught up into the heavens; when
Peter was alone that Jesus forgave him his
wonderings. 1t was when John was alone
that he saw the golden streets and pearly
gates, but best of all beheld the vision of
Him of whom he wrote saying, was in the
spirit, and, behold a throne was set in
heaven, and one sat on the throne. Rev T.
2. We need to be more and more alone
with God, LAS much with Him as with the
world" is the way the men of other days
put it. We must shut tho door, so that we
may receive inspiration and instruction
for Christian service. AS in breathing we
first breathe in then out, and breathe out in
proportion to our breathing in; so 1t must
be in our spiritual life. We must again
and again breathe in of the very presence of
God. We must shut the door in order to
do this. There is not minister of the gos-
pei, nor an humble Christian worker that
cannot have power in his work if he will
..n.l. r.l.In LII LII L.