Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-03-13

NJ ton by denying
| to the ruler the
right to hear the
petitions of his
subjects. If he admits that there IL
q God, while at the same time he de-
MES that he answers prayer, he has
brought his God down to the position
of the petty savage chieftain who
lives for his own pleasure without re-
gard to the welfare of his subjects.
Prayerlessness is, therefore, species
of barbarisnl.
Any man as subject of the King
may come before him with petition.
If he has grievance, let him not tell
it to others, and thus backbite the
King. The King invites him into his
presence, and will give audience even
to his complainings. Let him como
boldly unto the throne of grace, that
he may obtain mercy and find grace to
help him in time of need" God is en-.
throned in grace and invites every
subject in need to approach with bold.
ness. And the promise is clear:
my God shall supply all your needs
according to his riches in glory by
Christ Jesus The resources of
Gods throne are at the disposal of all
his needy subjects. With such king
would it not be wrong to refuse to
make petition? Would it not be dis
loyal? Prayerlessness is, indeed, dis
loyalty to the King of the universe.
God as Judge.
God as Judge hears and answers
the prayer of plaintiff. In the par
able of the Unjust Judge duke
1919 the widow has a grievance
against her adversary, and pleads that
he shall be punished. Though the
Judge is unjust, his judicial position
compels him to hear her plea, and her
importantly constrains him to grant
her petition. The argument is that, il
an unjust Judge is compelled by Off
cial position to hear the plea, and
plaintiff to grant it, how much more
will a just God respect his judicial po.
sition and answer without demanding
importantly.
But just Judge cannot forgive a
man who has been proved guilty, I'M
less satisfaction to justice can be
made. Mercy is injustice. 1t may be
based upon kindness, but that does
not rid it of injustice. Then how can
prayer for forgiveness be answered
without impeaching the justice of the
Judge? Only by anothers bearing the
sinners guilt.
To say that confession of sin 10
atonement enough ignores the right
eousness of God. Contrasting debt
does not pay debt; it rather enforces
the obligation to pay. But il the debt
has been paid by another, it would be
fragrant injustice to demand second
payment.
God as Father.
God as Father hears and answers
the prayer Of his child. If you con-
TESS the fatherhood of God and then
deny that he is Influenced by the cry
of his child, you would degrade him
below the level of the beasts of the
field and the birds of the air, for they
heed the cry of their young in distress
and hasten to their relief. So right is
it for the Father to hear the prayer
of his child that the universal con-
seriousness of mankind gives him no
option. He must hear it, or be
branded as UNANIMOUSLY heartless. Even
pagan ethics demands it. For
parent to be insensible to the cry
of his child is a sign of insanity OF
depravity. To deny that God answers
prayer, while we believe in his father
hood, is, therefore, to charge him
with insanity or depravity.
Reward Of Obedience.
The father has, of course, the right
to use his superior wisdom in decid.
ing whether or not the child's request
shall be granted. The child has no
right to command the father except by
his obedience. In nature we can com.
mand only by obeying. If we obey the
laws of electricity or steam, we may
command them and they will doour bid
ding. But If we refuse to obey their
laws, they refuse to obey us. And
80 when God promises upon certain
conditions, and We fulfill the eondi.
tions, his promise becomes our cont.
mand, and We may lovingly insist upon
ito fulfillment. As father to give
child what every within of fancy OF
selfish desire might prompt him to
ask would be to injure the child ana
make the order Of home give place to