The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-14

! ms prayer We have simply the utter
ancc Godward of what lie was dcsir-
/ ing in Ills heart: Father Will tina,
they also whom Thou hast given Me
be with Me where am. tina; they may
behold My glory"
This wish WAS spoken by Christ at
Ills last supper with Ills disciples.
'Th" first thought the words suggest
/, is the deep, natural. human dread THAI
a friend feels when he must par, with
, 81 friend. This broad and simple emo
ton is one OF the l.rcufmarks Of
/ Christs true humanity, aud il was
! more beautiful in Him iust as the
color grows richer and deeper with
| he body and soldity Of the material
! int" which 1t is wrought. What II
totally different thing scorn Is in the
feeble sneer OF the cynic. and in the
lofty contempt which nnhlencss has for
meanness.
Nowhere is this differences creator
than in companlonship. The grades
of human companionship are physical
nearncss. common employment. similar
opinions. sympathy OF character. Ac-
cordinE as a man mounts from the
lowest to the highest, 10 he with any
fellowmnn comes to signify to him
successfully one after another OF these
things.
The hnest test OF comranionship is
the desire TO have another enter into
and share your life and this is the
test Of life itself. How many parents
are there who can say - their chill
dren to-day: nc az am" and desire
that life for the child they love? IT
is not good for any man TO live n HE
nc would not desire to see made per-
feet and universal throughout the
world. Paul says: lie what am :"
but Dives cries out of the fire where
he lies: oh, send and warn my seven
brethren, lest they come whore l am"
Thus, then, we understand Christ's
longing for the companiunship of His
disciples. That wish of His completed
itself in the desire that they should
be like Him; that they should have
His character; that in the obedience
-" SoHiHiuHion OF tod WheVc lie
abode they should abide with Him
Men have thought that they could he
with Christ without being in Christ;
that they could share Ills BLESSINGS.
and not share His character Christ
Himself pictured the arrival of the
deludcd company at the yates NJ their
misma gined heaven. Master" they
said. we have eaten and drunk In Thy
presence and Thou hast taught in
our streets" And then lie answered
them: Il never knew YOU. Depart
from Me, all ye WORKERS of iniquity."
When. then, is our MSster's prayer
fulfilled with us? No, until He Is
formed in US do We truly enter into
Him.
In tho next clause OF this verse,
Jesus says: Father, will that they
also whom Thou hast given Nc be with
Me where am: that the, may behold
My glory" That is the object tina /,
CHRIST has-for them IL behold HIS
glory: not the glory OF power, or pride
or place, but the glory of holiness,
Christs power is the emphasis set
npon goodness, as the brilliant light
through the window shows the win
dow's glory, not It's own. 1t is Christ's
goodness, then, that lie would have
Ills people see Only by growth in
goodness can His goodness open Itself
10 us. II Is His glory He wants us to
see, and back Of that He wants us to
no such men and women that we can
see His glory.
This prayer of Jesus is really identi-
cal with all His prayers for men In
various words. under various discus
siGns Christ is the .intercessor, al
ways offering prayers, always striv-
ing with the hearts OF mon: 10 one
comes sorrow. 10 another joy; one man
is struggling with doubts which God
has sent him; another man is walking
in the brightness of unclouded faith,
and there is for all but one purpose
God is trying TO make them true and
molly; God is trying to strengthen them
and establish them so that they may
stumble no more but discover the one
only hope for which God made them,
and forgetting all things else, thence
forward give themselves to that end
and serve God, and by serving Him, TO
grow into His goodness.
This wac tho prayer OF Jesus. His
only PRAYER remember! He asked His
Father simply for this--that those
whom lie loved might come TO Him in
spiritual likeness. The only true dan
ger is sin. and so the only true safety
is holiness. This is the prayer and
this is the idea that takes our vague,
half-feit wishes and fills them With
reality and strength by putting before
our visions this picture Of the dear
est and noblest being that our souls