Milford chronicle., 1909-07-02
PULPIT.
"Behold, He
Prayeth'
(Acts tx, I'D
Pastor RNSSeHS Dis
course
course

US remember that to be pure-hearted
means to be sincere, and to utter moth.
ing which we do not mean. Let us
learn to search our hearts, as the
Scriptures suggest, to scrutnize our
words, our thoughts, our conduct, with
a view to noting to what extent self
will, or our own plans and arrange
ments. are influencing us, and to what
extent we are sincere in desiring to
know and to do the Lords will
Safe In a Praying Home.
Most Of you probably have heard the
story of early frontier life, In which
two travellers were obliged to seek
shelter in u mountain home, in a local
ity which they had been warned was
dangerous, especially as they had mon
/ ey. Only the necessity Of the occasion
/ forced them to seek the shelter. They
purposed keeping guard throughout the
night, the one sleeping while the other
Watched in turn, fearing they would
be robbed, possibly murdered. How
ever, just as they had reached this
conclusion, one Of them noticed a crack
in the door, and peering through it be
held the uncouth householder on his
knees in prayer. He explained the sit
uation to his companion, and they both
realized their safety and went to sleep
in peace
There is a principle involved in this
matter of prayer The heart which
seeks fellowship with its Creator seeks
the lOftiest companionship, one which
will be sure to lead him more and
more out Of willful sin and depravity
Those who have no fellowship with
God cannot keep up for long a prayer
of formality in secret There must be
a motive, either to be seen of men or
to be heard of God, otherwise there
would be no prayer
Whoever seeks his Creator In prayer /
is prOpOrtiOnately amenable at heart |
to righteous influences. Whoever has |
no appreciation of prayer thereby /
shows that proportionately he is
estranged from his Creator-out of fel- |
lOwship with him. And while such .
may at times, or perhaps for a con
siderable time, be Outwardly mora
and honest, we may be sure that their
estrangement from God might at any
time lead off into sin. They are off
the path Of divine fellowship, and on
the path Of carelessness and worldl-
ness. which may at any moment lead
off into the ways Of unrighteousness.
Throne of Heavenly Grace.
st. Paul exhorts the church. Let US
come boldly (courageously) to the
throne Of heavenly grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help
In every time of need (Hebrews iv,
80 He is not addressing the world.
but the household Of faith. as indicat-
ed by the word us" The picture be
brings before our minds is that Of the
Tabernacle and the priests conducting
the service. He points out that our
Lord Jesus as the great and-typical
High Priest has made an atonemeut
for the sins of all believers and that
therefore believers who have turned
from sin may come to the heavenly
Father cOurageously-not in fear, moth
ing doubling. They may come ever
when they realize their imperfection
and natural blemishes; when they real
ize they have fallen short of the Lords
and of their own standards:
they may realize that it is a throne
Of grace, Of mercy, of favor, where
they may drop the burden of their
and obtain a blessing.
and bear song away.
The world cannot come to this throne
Of grace because still in sin: because
hey have not yet turned their back, ,
upon sin. because they have not yet j
accepted Christ as their Redeemer.
heir Saviour, and because, therefore.
ne is not their High Priest The Apos
lie says. He hath appeared in the
of God for Ws''-believers He ;
las an arrangement disclosed in the I
Word which says that by and by he !
will appear on behalf of all. but as yet a
he new and living why is opened only q
o those antitypical priests and Levites y
Who desire to come to the Father h
Trough him. No one loving and prac- n
icing sin has any invitation to this
hrone of grace. He must learn first n
he exceeding sinfulness of sin; be a
must become sin-sick before be will h
ealize his need Of or have an appre- u
iation for the Good Physician and the II
aim which he alone can supply for /,
be healing of the soul. +,
Find Grace to Help. n
The Apostle not only declares that Il
elievers at the throne of grace may 81
btain mercy, forgiveness of unwill- Il
lg sins, imperfections. but that addi- a
onally they may find grace to help in pi
very time Of need (Hebrews iv, 16l. N
urely this is true, as every developed II
hristian must know Hence, the g
lithful approach the throne of grace in
ith courage, not only when they have Il
to confess and apologies to m
AXE, and forgiveness to ask, but also al
} they think Of the trials. temptations ii,
nd difficulties along the way, and of
lie day They learn to seek fortifca al
on against sin, against their owr tn
against the encroach- CT
ents Of the world, the flesh and the ou
dversary They obtain these bless of
IS by their fellowship with the Lord. hi