The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-05-13
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FOR A
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Theme:
THE ETHICS OF PRAYER
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BY REV. DR.. A. c. DIXON.
Theme

or petition Him about any need or
grievance. The prayerless man has
placed himself outside the pale of
civilization by denying to the Ruler
the right to hear the petitions of His
subjects If he admits that there is
a God, while at the same time he de-
MES that He answers prayer, he has
brought his God down 10 the position
of a petty chieftain who lives for his
own pleasure without regard for the
welfare of His subjects. Prayerless-
ness is, therefore. species of bar
barism.
God is Judge, and it is right for
Judge to hear and answer the prayer
of a plaintiff. In the parable the
widow has a grievance against her ad-
versary, and pleads that he shall be
punished. Though the judge is un-
just, his judicial position compels him
to hear her plea, and her importantly
constrains him to grant her petition.
Now. if an unjust judge is compelled
by official position to hear the plea.
and constrained by the importantly OF
the plaintiff to grant it, how much
more will just God respect His judi
cial position, and answer without de-
manding importantly. 81 tell you that
He will avenge them speedily"
For men to reject God as the arbi-
ter of their affairs, and wreak ven
geance upon their own adversaries, is
an index to the spirit of barbarism,
where there is no recognition of judi
cial power, but every man is his own
juG ye and jury. Prayerlessness is
ethical anarchy. 1t ignores or de-
spises the Judge of all the earth" by
refusing to consult or petition Him
about grievances.
The Parable of the Pharisee and
the Publican, which follows without
break the Parable of the Unjust Judge
and the Widow, carries with 1t the
idea of Gods judicial position. 1t is
really parable of the Just Judge, In
troduced by contrast with the unjust
Judge, and we have a different type
of petitioner The Pharisee uses the
name of God once and the assertive
pronoun "I' five times. He would
like to make a stream of merit flow
upward to God by the pressure OF his
own egotism. The publican links the
name of God with the dependent pro
noun me" and puts himself in the
stream of mercy that bows downward
| from God through Jesus Christ on the
cross. To justify the Pharisee would
be to Justify self-infiated vanity and
| the spirit that despises others. Such
| a man, spreading the peacock feathers
| of his own vain assumptions, would
| be an incongruous figure among those
who are singing, Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain" He could not join in
| the song, because the only hymn ne
knows is, Worthy is myself"
This Pharisee stands at the head OF
the class who to-day eXalt man and
talk of the divinity of human nature,
while they reject the Deity of Christ
When they come before God in pray
er, it is to tell Him how great Man is
the discoveries he has made, the
books he has written, and the civiliza
tion he has produced.
God is Friend, and it is right fol-
one friend to hear and answer the
appeal of another friend. In Luke
2.5-8 we have these words of Jesus:
(Which of you shall have a friend
and shall go unto him at midnight
and say unto him: Friend, lend me
three loaves, for a friend of mine il
his Journey is come to me, and ] have
nothing to set before him" This
takes us a step beyond the parable
of Judgment. If we have confessed
sin and received forgiveness, we have
become friends of God. A friend OF
journey applies for bread, and thu
friend, not having it, goes to hi
friend and requests the loan of three
loaves The friend at first refuses t
rise at the inconvenient hour of mid
night, and gives as MS reason tina
his children would be disturbed.
Here is a conflict of friendship will
love. The fathers love for his Chi
dren makes him seek their comfort
while the friendship of the man 70
his travelling friend causes him to b
importunate in his entreaty.
God is Father, and it is right for
father TO hear and answer the cry o
His child.
AS a subject petitionIng a ruler, a
a plaintiff pleading before judge, a
friend making known his need t
friend, and as child crying to
father, everyone ought to pray. Nc
TO pray is, therefore. to live an VI
ethical life in our relations to Go
and man, in that we are not doin
what we ought to do. To pray in tn
name OF Jesus Christ is to be endue
with the power of the King of the Un
verse, to receive pardon from tn
Judge of all the earth" to be SUI
I piled with the bounty of the riches
+ friend in the world, and TO have tn
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