The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-01

Text Take heed that We do moi
your righteousness before men 10 be
seen OF them; else We have no reward
with your Father which is in heav-
en- Matt. q: |. tR. W
The Master in today's lesson tells
OF proper and improper giving OF
charity. He extends the subject and
explains proper and improper pray
ers and finally proper and improper
fasting. In all these He denOunces
hypocrisy, theatrical display. His
followers are 10 be actuated solely BY
a desire TO please the Heavenly Fa-
Their and have His approval. There
may be times and places where tbs
| giving of charity in the presence OF
others would be perfectly proper. or
praying in the presence OF Others
would be entirely right, and where
fasting might come 10 the knowledge
g! others without reprOach.
The point which the Great Teach.
/ or makes is the motive actuatinG us.
II we are actuated by selfish mo-
| tive. if we are seeking show and APP
plause or earthly gain, the procedure
cannot bring Divine approval or
blessing blessed are the pure III
heart We may be seen to do good
or to pray or 10 fast, but we are not
TO do our charities, our praying and
our fasting to be seen. or such the
Lord says, They have received their
reward" nothing more is coming TO
them; they get the publicity sought.
The Privilege Of Prayer.
| Prayer is a privilege. Jesus dld
not command His disciples TO pray.
nor did He even give them a form OF
prayer until they requested it. Pray
81 is the souls sincere desire. uttered
or unexpresscd. The Lords people
must feel their need of Divine grace
and help in order to appreciate the
Privilege OF approaching the throne
e heavenly grace. The trials ara
difficulties. the sorrows and tempta-
tons of life frequently impel God $
children to prayer. !, marks bet
ter. a higher Christian development
when they love to come to the throne
OF grace, not only in their sorrows,
but also in their joys, to give thanks,
to praise. to worship, to adore.
1t will be- noticed that our LORD
cid not tell about how the world
should pray. but merely taught His
disciples: when ye pray" AS a
matter of fact, the Gentiles. the
" orld OF mankind in general. have no
access to the throne OF grace. Only
those in covenant relationship with
Cod Jews aud Christians) ever had
1
'any Divine assurance that their petit
tons would be accepted by Him. ms
may cause surprise to some, SO gen
c,al is the custom of encouraging
and exhorting everybody to pray. A
brief glance a, the situation, how
lever, shows us the fixed principle I'M
Gerlying the matter. Let us note 1t
IThe world in general. the race OF
Adam, was alienated from Goo
Through wicked works. Adam was
under a covenant with God by whics
H. enjoyed the privileges of son %
God. This included fellowship, com
munion, prayer and Divine super
vision and care even to the extent o
Everlasting life But Adams dis
> obedience broke that covenant. abOl
ished that -relat ionshiip an,
t all its privileges. (los. ca. r. V.
The only ones who now enjoy tn
). privilege OF prayer are those VIII
have been accepted of God back int
covenant relationship. The natura
lsraelitc was so accepted under III
\ law covenants hence the temple 4
} Jerusalem was called the house {
prayer II was specifically for III
Jewish prOselytes and thus of bcin
received into all the privileges ,
O Jews. which included the privile,
TT prayer
4 Our Lord on the basis of His be
ter sacrifice for sins. made holy an
acceptable 10 still higher privilege
of prayer such as became His di
,e ciplcs. His footstep followers Thes
from Pentecost onward. were call,
~ sons of God and enjoyed the bcgc
r. ting of the Holy Spirit At first the
"A We're only Jewish believers. but
due time the middle wall of par,
" ton between Jews and Gentiles "
broken down, and all Gentle belle
&c ers. from the time of Cornelius O
~ ward. were accepted as spirit beg,
. ten sons and granted all the pri'
lcges of prayer-Acts 10.