The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-01-06
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV DIR. c. w. MCCORMICK.
Theme: Prayer.

Theme: Prayer.
Brooklyn, N. "a large audience
gathered in the Nostrand Avenue M.
E. Church, Sunday morning, to heal
the first sermon by the new pastor,
the Rev. DR.. Charles W. Mccormick.
He was greeted by hundreds of the
psaple at the close of the service.
His morning subject was The
Ground and Scope of Christian
Prayer" The text was from 'Ephes-
ians 1:16-17, Wherefore I 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 himself, a
persecuted and imprisoned apostle,
and needy saints everywhere, there
was a vital and effective relationship
by way Of the throne Of grace. To
him the question, Does God answer
prayer? had no existence. Had ne
lived in our day he would have had
little in common with those who find
The chief value of prayer in the self
inspiration and self-culture which un-
loubtedly are. among it's good results.
The nearest he ever came to speaking
of the reflex influence Of prayer was
In his letter to the Philippians, where
he says: "Be careful for nothing;
but in everything, by prayer supplica-
ton, with thanksgiving, let your re-
quests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall guard your
hearts and your thoughts In Christ
Jesus" Here the result Of prayer Is
subjective. It is, the peace Of a soul
that has joyfully confded everything
to the care of God, the Father. But
it is not the mere relief from anxiety
which follows the shifting OF ones
burdens to the back Of another. 1t Is
the "peace Of God," Gods peace, the
kind and Of peace which God
has, and which He imparts to His
children who trust in Him, Of which
Jesus said, my peace I give unto
you"
The ground of Paul's confidence in
prayer is his conception of God and Of
his W relation to God as q chosen
ambassador. Back Of all his theology
and ethical teaching lies his own per-
sonal experience. God had touched
his life and spoken directly to him.
This experience was at once his point
of outlook and his unfailing ground
Of confidence for himself and for the
church.
His conception Of God was that
God is both t~ranscendent and i'm
mament; above the world and in the
world; not the logical concept OF
philosophy, nor the unknowable force
Of science. He was a personal God,
whose eternal power and Godhead are
displayed in the works Of His crea-
ton; who gave law to sinful men;
who uphoids all things by the word
Of His power; who seeks to redeem
the world in Christ; who works in the
saints by His spirit to will and to do
Of His own good pleasure; and who
has promised in Christ. the complete
restoration of all His children.
Chiefly, however, his view Of God
was from the standpoint Of Christ as
Redeemer. Here he saw the mystery,
hidden through the ages, which the
angels desired to look into, revealed
In Christ, the unfolding of Gods eter-
nal purpose to redeem a lost world
from sin. This purpose is not new.
1t antedates and is involved in crea-
ton. 1t Is as strong and changeless
as the nature of God Himself. Such
a Paul's thought of God.
And his conception Of his w re-
lation to God and of his mission &C
cords with this thought. He was sim
ply Gods man or as he loved to say,
Gods bond-servant; the least Of all
the saints, but called of God to de-
clare the mystery Of redemption to a
perishing world. Necessity was laid
upon him; the love of. God con-
strained him; he vas debtor. to all
men because of the great grace given
unto him; he was part Of Gods plan,
implicated from the very beginning
In the eternal purpose. AS such he
could, do nothing but obey and trust
as becomes a co-worker with God.
1t is not strange, therefore, that
with such ideas Of God and himself
be should believe in prayer. 1t is in
Prayer in such a case is simply the
confidential request of a weaker part
ner in a work dear to both partners.
The answer is assured. Besides, God
had already given His Son; what
needful thing could He withhold?
Whoever prays with Paul will have
no narrow or exclusive views of
prayer. Listen to some of the petit
tions he offers. He prays that he
may be prospered by the will of God
to come to the Romans; for the
Ephesians, that they may have the
spirit Of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge Of God, being strength
ened with power through the Spirit,
and having Christ constantly dwell
ing in their hearts that the.' may per-
fectly know Gods surprising love.
He asks God to give the Philippians
the spirit Of wisdom and discernment
and discrimination, that they may be
sincere and void of offense, filled with
all the fruits of righteousness. In
like manner he prays that the Colos-
SLAMS may be filled with the knowl-
edge Of Gods will in all spiritual wis
dom and understanding, walk worth
lily, bear fruit, increasing in knowl-
edge and power. Finally he prays
that God may count the Thessalon-
ians worthy of their high calling, and
fill every desire growing out of good
ness, and every work of faith full of
His power.
In all Of Paul's prayers we miss a
familiar note. He seems to disre-
gard the ordinary needs Of life. Yet
he did not really do so. He simply
subordinated them and assumed that
God would withhold from His chill
dren no onnd thing With him Gods.