The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-01-22
THE PULPIT.
{ BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON sY
Gypsy SMITH
Theme: Prevailing Prayer.

conducting a mission in this city. and
sunday he preached in the Fifth Ave-
nue. Presbyterian Church.
Gypsy Smith said: You will find the
text in Mark 3. beginning at the
twenty-eighth verse, And when
Jesus was come into the house His
disciples asked Him privately, why
could not We cast the devil out? Jesus
said unto them, this kind can come
forth by nothing but by prayer
prayer! This is only one picture out
of the life of Jesus, just a little view
of what was going on all the time
with Him. You who are students OF
this book, remember that He had just
been upon the Mount of Transfigura-
ton; that He had taken with Him
Peter. James and John: that He was
transfgured before them. We are
told that while He prayed up there
on the mountain the fashion of His
countenance was changed. and all
countenances change as men pray.
While He prayed His face was
changed. The glory from within and
the glory from without met. That
happened always, | believe, when
Jesus prayed, but this was the first
time that the disciples had been al
lowed 10 see Him communing with
His Father. They were allowed, for
certain reasons. TO see what happened
when He talked TO His Father. While
He prayed there appeared Moses and
Elijah. Moses representing the law
and Elijah the prophets. and Jesus,
the fultillment OF both, in the midst.
And the apostles had a wonderful ex-
perience 10 equip them forever TO go
nd he
scene was soon over, and Jesus and
the disciples came down from the
mountain. Down in the valley was
another group, the other disciples,
who had been left down there 10 go
on with the work while Jesus was alb
sent When the people see Jesus and
the three disciples coming, they run
70 meet them, and one OF them, a
father. outstrips the rest and runs 10
Jesus with bis child, who is possessed
with a devil. an unclean spirit, and
says: Master, have brought 10 Thee
my son. He has a dumb spirit |
brought him to Thy disciples down
! here that they might cast the devil
ont of him. and they could not
Please remember that; they could
not. Jesus made no excuse for His
disciples failure. He never docs
when they ought to succeed. He did
! nor excuse them.
He said 20, faithless generation:
| how long shall be with You? How
! long shall | suffer YOU? How long
! shall / suffer because of vou?"
want to say this: II Jesus said that Of
! few fishermen, who had only been
/ with Him for two and q half wears.
! because they failed once 10 bring
a roor lad out of darkness into light.
ont Of the thralldom Of the devil into
! the liberty of the peonle of God. what
! do you think he would say to some Of
! YOU here who have been protesting
| Christ for ten, fifteen. twentv and
! even forty years. and YOU do not know
a soul in this CITY whom Won have
| brought 10 Jesus Christ? Hear me,
! Your religion stands or falls by what
! II does for the next man. Your relig-
! ion is tested by what IT does for hu-
| manitv. Does il get into your life?
! Does il make YOU pitv with q divine
! pity, love with a divine love. snend
! Yourself with divine Drodigalitv?
! 1t made Jesus empty Himself He
! took upon Himself the form of a ser
want and humbled Himself. even TO
! the death Of the croSs--"even Christ
! pleased not Himself" Listen: The
| unanswerable argument for your re-
! ligion is the healed man. What the
world is waiting for is a bit of hu-
manity ont of whom tho church has
! cast devil. II waits for that. God
| help us 10 be able to product Il, No.
! Jesus did not excuse these men, and
! He Goes not excuse us, either You
/ know what happened. Jesus said 10
I al
! things are possible TO him that be-
! lieveth.' And the man cried out,
with tears. Lord, ] believe. help Tnou
mine unbelief;" and Jesus said
! Bring him (the child 10 Me-" and
! then Jesus snake the word that did
/ the work TIE disciples did not for
! get the rebuke. and they went 70
! Jesns-and ! want you Christian peo-
! pie 10 remember this - and said
! Master, why could not we cast him
! out?' and Jesus said. This kind can
come forth by nothing but bv PRAYER. "
! They were not PRAYING; they were
! discussing With the scrihes and Phari-
sees, doing anything else but PRAYING
! And that is the weak part Of the
church to-day-the PRAYER meeting.
Have you tried to do anything in
! the way OF helping ANYBODY up who is
! down? Have you spoken to anybody
lately about Jesus and His love? Your
boy, for whom you have TO sit up late
sometimes? You do not tell anybodv.
but your tears can tell volumes you
never put into words. You know
what IL is 10 sit up for an unsteady
step, and you are bearing that trag-
edy alone. Have you prayed with
that boy? II / came TO your house.
could you show me the place where
! YOU kneel 10 pray? Has your boy
ever seen you pray? Have you ever
! put your arms around him and said
| MY boy, Jesus can break the power
of the sin that is binding you?" Have
| you ever prayed him into living con-
tact with Christ? That is what Jesus
means. All about us are men and
women, paralyzed bysin, half damned
! by sin, and We are doing nothing 20
/ deliver them-and we profess 20 be
/ Lrsm