The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-12-10
THE PULPIT.
a SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV DR.. c. W. MCCORMICK!


gathered IN tne NOstIdhu HNVhN - !
u. Church, Sunday morning, 70 neai
the first sermon by the new pastor
the Rev. DR.. Charles w. Mccormick
He was greeted by hundreds of the
people at the close of the service
His morning subject was "The
Ground and Scope of Christian
Prayer" The text was from Epnes'
lans 1:16-17, Wherefore | also cease
/ not to give thanks for you, making
mention of you in my prayers Dr
| Mccormick said:
Saint Paul was a man OF prayer
! He believed in prayer. He was fully
| persuaded that between himseH,
! prosecuted and imprisoned apostle,
| and needy saints everywhere, tnere |
was a vital and effective relationship |
! nv wav 81 the throne of grace. TIC |
| him the question, Does God answer |
| nraver? had no existence. Had nc
| lived in our day he would have hau
little in common with those who find
the chief value Of prayer in the self
insniration and self-culture which un'
doubtedly are among its good results
THE nearest he ever came to speaking
of the reflex influence of prayer was
| I'm his letter to the Philippians, where
he saws: "Be careful for nothing;
but in everything, by prayer supplica'
tion, with thanksgiving, let your re-
quests be made known unto COO
And the peace of God, which passetl
ali understanding, shall guard your
hearts and your thoughts in Christ
Jesus. Here the result OF prayer Is
subjective. It is the peace of SOU
that has joyfully confided everything
To the care of God, the Father. But
II Is not the mere relief from anxiety
which follows the shifting of ones
: burdens to the back of another 1t Is
the "peace OF Cod" Gods peace, the
kind and measure of peace which Goo
has. and which He imparts to HIS
children who trust in Him, OF which
Jesus said, my peace / give unto
, you"
The ground of Paul's confidence II
prayer is his conception OF GOD ana OF
, his own relation to God as a chosen
ambassador. Back of all his theology
4 and ethical teaching lies his own per.
= sonal experience. God had touched
!, his life and spoken directly to him.
n This experience was at once his point
. of outlook and his unfailing ground
q of confidence for himself and for the
A church.
His conception of God was thai
God is both transcendent and i'm
e mament; above the world and in the
J. world; not the logical concept o
o philosophy, nor the unknowable force
d of science He was a personal GOO
r whose eternal power and Godhead ar
n displayed in the works OF His crea
). ton; who gave law to sinful men
y who upholds all things by the wor'
of His power; who seeks to redeem
n the world in Christ; who works in tn
n saints by His spirit to will and to d
N of His own good pleasure; and VIII
,e has promised in Christ the complet
n restoration of all His children.
"a Chiefly, however, his view OF Go
~ was from the standpoint of Christ a
Redeemer. Here he saw the myster!
r hidden through the ages, which tn
en- angels desired to look into, reveale
As in Christ, the unfolding of Gods etel
he nal purpose to redeem lost worl
m from sin. This purpose is not ney
al 1t antedates and is involved In crei
~ ton 1t is as strong and changele'
W as the nature of God Himself. sue
'e' was Paul's thought of God.
ng And his conception of his own r
ng lation to God and of his mission a
ut cords with this thought. He was sir
e's ply Gods man or as he loved to sa
"a Gods bond-servant; the least OF
' the saints, but called of God to d
~ clare the mystery of redemption to
TN nerishiug world. Necessity was la
OIL uron him; the love of God co
vs. GRAINED him; he was debtor to
men because of the great grace CIV
et- unto him. he was part of Gods pla
al IMPLICATED from the very beginni
ro in the eternal purpose. AS sucn
80 could do nothing but obey and trt
IN as becomes a co-worker with God:
OK It is not strange, therefore, tn
vas with sNch ideas of God and hims
me he should believe In prayer 1t Is
he'd conceivable that he should n
md PRAYER in such case is simply
"a confidential request of a weaker pa
ner in a work dear to both partne
The answer is assured. Besides, g
ent had already given His Son; WI
ior needful thing could He withhold?
# Whoever prays with Paul will hi
pli- no narrow or exclusive views
eles prayer. Listen to some OF the p'
lions he offers. He prays that
may be prospered by the will of
to come to the Romans; for
Ephesians, that they may have
pad, spirit Of wisdom and revelation In
nse knowledge of God, being strene
last ened with power through the Spi
,arn and having Christ constantly dW
to ing in their hearts that the-- may !
fectly know Gods surprising L
nlN' He asks God TO give the Philippi
lAe the spirit of wisdom and diseernm
bull and discrimination, that they may
ting ! sincere and void of offense, filled Y
sctly all the fruits of righteousness.
.ater like manner he prays that the Co
80 SLAMS may be filled with the knt
- edge of Gods will in all spiritual
'usu dom and understanding, walk wo
s 10 ily bear fruit, increasing in kn'
tacn edge and power. Finally he p
tAen that God may count the Thessa
to ians worthy of their high calling,
each fill every desire growing out OF g
c,nss ness, aud every work of faith fu
la,,g His power.
oouS In all of Paul's prayers we mi
lures familiar note. He seems to d
wnen gard the ordinary needs of life.
-aLer he did not really do so. He sil
eg in subordinated them and assumed
tered Cod would withhold from His
',-ea~ dren no good thing. With him {
N0sP work was everything Surely,
Oasu' did that work faithfully, God "
lared supply all his needs. Hence he pr
crea. for what he thought was or his
ag in Importance. AS TO the rest, he
4 sets in Gods care.
direc. The great petitions of Paul's
-IsrIv ers are three: For satisfying ki
lialIs edge of God, worthy life, AM
hoose cordant power. These are =
)r the great needs. Our text to-day
Ie lat chiefly with the first.
any An essential prerequisite OF a