Review and Herald, Vol. 90, No. 51. (12/18/1913)

Review and Herald

Dec 18, 1913

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 18, 1913

Beautiful and Appropriate Gifts

There is nothing more appropriate as a holiday gift than a good book. It will be read and appreciated and the giver gratefully remembered perhaps for years. The benefits of few other gifts, if any, will be as lasting. We suggest the following from which to select:—

Steps to Christ

This book is suitable for any one of any age, whether Christian or sinner. To the one it brings peace and comfort, to the other it shows the way to Christ, the source of all true joy. Presentation edition, gilt edges, gilt title, in handsome box; price, $1.00.

Christ Our Saviour

The reading of this book will instil into the mind of the reader a larger conception and a greater appreciation of the life of Christ and the plan of salvation. An excellent book for any one. Full cloth binding, aluminum cover, 75 cents. Presentation edition, gilt top, cover embossed in jet, green, and gold, $1.25.

Capital and Labor

This book has a special mission at the present time, as will be recognized by its title. It is appreciated by both the laborer and the employer, as it is a non-partizan, honest presentation of the great problem of and the living issue between employers and employees. Do not forget it in your holiday gifts. Cloth binding, 75 cents.

Colds

This is a seasonable little booklet at this time of the year when the frequent changes in the weather result in so many persons “catching cold.” This book tells how to avoid one, and also how to dispose of it if already caught. Price, only 25 cents.

’Battle Hymn of the Kingdom

A beautiful little book of poems in cloth binding with gilt top. Price, only 30 cents.

Bible Child Life

A biography of the principal children mentioned in the Bible. These stories will be helpful in giving to the reader high and noble aspirations. Cloth binding, 50 cents.

Best Stories From the Best Book

In this book many vital points of present truth are considered in a manner that not only interests but creates a desire for deeper investigation. Fully illustrated, board covers, 50 cents. Full cloth, embossed, 75 cents.

Easy Steps in the Bible Story

Beginning with the story of creation, this book gives a connected line of stories of special events, and the lives of prominent characters, down to the close of the life of Christ. A very helpful book to any child in the forming of strong character. Beautifully and profusely illustrated; 600 pages. Cloth binding, $3.00; half morocco, $4.00.

Good Form and Social Ethics

A new, up-to-date book on the subject of etiquette. Instruction is given in a concise, comprehensive manner. Every one should read it. True Christian courtesy is important. It helps one to succeed both in soul-winning and in every-day business affairs. Uncouth manners tend toward failure. Cloth binding, 75 cents.

Elo the Eagle and Other Stories

Contains ten fascinating stories about animals, presented in a most entertaining and instructive manner. Over 200 pages, cloth. $1.00.

My Garden Neighbors

A book of interesting nature stories. Tells of certain birds, animals, and other creatures which made their homes in the author’s garden. Nicely illustrated, 256 pages. $1.00.

The Gospel Primer No. 2

Contains the alphabet, each letter combining some Bible story in simple language. A complete story on each page. Fully illustrated; cloth binding, 50 cents.

Making Home Happy

An excellent book which tells how an unhappy home was made happy. It is a bright and cheery volume for both young and old. Cloth, 50 cents.

Making Home Peaceful

This is the sequel to “Making Home Happy,” telling the outcome of the family mentioned in the first book. Price, 75 cents.

Out-of-Doors

The writer points out the supreme value of fresh air from the standpoint of health preservation. A splendid book to place in the hands of those who are living sedentary lives. Price, 60 cents.

The Printing-Press and the Gospel

This little book gives in a nutshell incidents in the lives of Christian workers, stories of God’s providences, and the experiences, achievements, and success of servants of God who have published the gospel by distribution of the printed page. Flexible leather binding, 60 cents.

The Man That Rum Made

A book which graphically illustrates the evil effects of intemperance. Filled with stories and incidents showing how boys form the taste for intoxicating liquors. Cloth, 75 cents.

Friend in the Kitchen

A book that tells you how to cook a healthful Christmas dinner, and has sufficient recipes for healthful meals throughout the entire year. Cloth binding, 50 cents.

Home and Health

A book designed to prevent disease by teaching the principles of life and health. It also contains many simple remedies for home treatment and care of the sick. A gift that would be appreciated by any one. Cloth, $2.50; half morocco, $3.50.

The Practical Guide to Health

A “doctor book” which gives a scientific description of diseases, their causes, and treatment. Cloth binding, $3.00; half morocco, $4.00.

A School Without Books

This book teaches children how to manipulate and transform crude materials into serviceable objects, thereby training their perceptions, ideals, and senses better than any other method possible to employ. Price, $1.50.

The Story of the Ages

Treats in a brief, yet clear manner, subjects from the creation down through the ages to the end of this world. This book in an unbroken chain tells the story of creation, the plan of salvation, and the joys of redemption. 222 pages, $2.00.

Story of Daniel the Prophet

A biography of this wonderful prophet of God. In connection with the story of this remarkable life, a clear and forceful exposition of the prophecies is also given. Full cloth, marbled edges, $1.50.

The Speaker’s Manual of Pronunciation

Just the thing to present to a minister or to a young man or young woman in school, training for public work. Cloth, 25 cents; leather, 50 cents.

Friends and Foes in Field and Forest

This book gives a description of many insects and small animals found in field and forest, with stories as to their habits, and many interesting things regarding them. Nicely illustrated, 248 pages. Cloth, $1.00.

Our Little Folks’ Bible Nature

A child’s book of simple graded lessons on Bible nature. Beautifully illustrated. Cloth binding, 50 cents.

Special Books for Boys

Boy Wanted

A book full of joyful, sparkling, and invigorating counsel which will help any boy in the attainment of manliness and success. Price, $1.25.

Almost a Man

Just the book to put into any boy’s hands when he begins to ask those delicate questions which many find so hard to answer. Cloth binding, 50 cents.

Truths

Talks with a boy concerning himself. A book containing the simple truths of life development which should be given to every boy approaching manhood. His future welfare depends upon it. Cloth, price, 55 cents.

The Boy Puzzle

This book commends itself to parents and teachers. It is full of helpful suggestions and warnings. Cloth, 75 cents.

Tiger and Tom and Other Stories

A book that would help boys to conquer many temptations and be victorious over self. Nicely illustrated, 75 cents.

Special Books for Girls

Girl Wanted

Cheerful, friendly talks to young women, telling them how to mold their temperaments and shape their characters to sweetest and noblest influence. Cloth, $1.25.

Almost a Woman

Doubly important is the period when the girl blossoms into womanhood. This book presents the whole subject in a delicate manner which would lead the most careless to look upon the mysteries of life as sacred. Cloth, 50 cents.

Confidences

A book explaining the origin and development of life in language intelligible to young girls. The author has very delicately and adequately treated this important subject. Price, 55 cents.

Happy School-Days

By Margaret E. Sangster. In this book Mrs. Sangster writes interestingly and sympathetically of the things nearest to the hearts of girls. Discusses the school, home, and entire life of a girl in her teens. Price, $1.25.

The King’s Daughter

Interesting stories for girls, each of which contains a practical lesson, and is helpful in the formation of right habits. Price, 75 cents.

A Song of Joy

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

MRS. L. D. AVERY-STUTTLE

Rejoice, O earth, for the day is near When thy bloody wars shall cease, When thy land shall rest ’neath the banners fair Of the glorious Prince of Peace.

Rejoice, rejoice, for the long, long night Shall cease with the coming day, And right shall sit on the throne of might, Forever and for aye.

Then the desert drear shall be glad for thee,— The wilderness dark with gloom,— And the saints shall stand on the crystal sea, And the rose and the lily bloom.

Make strong the hands that are feeble now, And the hearts that are faint and weak; Raise up the forms that in weakness bow, And the glorious tidings speak.

Soon, soon, shall the lame man “leap as an hart,” And the “tongue of the dumb” shall sing, From the parched ground shall the waters start, And streams from the desert spring.

And the ransomed blest shall return and come To the hills of Zion fair, And the Master’s heart shall be satisfied When we meet him over there.

Lansing, Mich.

MRS. E. G. WHITE

By Ellen G. White

Jehoshaphat—No. 1

MRS. E. G. WHITE

“In the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel,” “Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah.” Until called to the throne at the age of thirty-five, Jehoshaphat had before him the example of his father Asa, who in nearly every crisis had done “that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.” Jehoshaphat profited by his early training. During his prosperous reign of twenty-five years he sought to walk “in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.”

In his effort to rule wisely, Jehoshaphat was troubled over the attitude of some of his subjects toward idolatrous practises. As yet, many of the people “had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.” They “offered and burnt incense yet in the high places;” and the king did not at once destroy these heathen shrines.

Jehoshaphat himself was loyal to God. He “sought not unto Baalim; but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.” Because of his integrity, the Lord was with him, and “stablished the kingdom in his hand.”

“All Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honor in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord.” As time passed, and reformations were wrought, the king “took away the high places and groves out of Judah.” “And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.”

Throughout the kingdom of Judah, the people were in need of instruction in the law of God. In an understanding of this law lay their safeguard against evils that had hitherto wrought apostasy and rebellion; by conforming their lives to its requirements they would become loyal, law-abiding subjects. Knowing this, Jehoshaphat took steps to insure to his people thorough instruction in the oracles of God. The princes in charge of the different portions of his realm were directed to arrange for the faithful ministry of teaching priests. By royal appointment these instructors, working under the direct supervision of the princes, “went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.” And as the people endeavored to understand God’s requirements and to put away transgression, a religious revival was brought about.

To this wise provision for the spiritual needs of his subjects, Jehoshaphat owed much of his prosperity as a ruler.

Righteousness does indeed exalt nations as well as individuals. In obedience to God’s law there is life. In conformity to his requirements there is a transforming power that brings peace and good will among men. If the teachings of God’s Word were made the controlling influence in the life of every man and woman, if mind and heart were brought under its restraining power, the evils that now exist in national and social life would find no place. From every home would go forth an influence that would make men and women a power on the side of truth and righteousness.

In the Bible the will of God is revealed. The truths of the Word of God are the utterances of the Most High. He who makes these truths a part of his life becomes in every sense a new creature. He is not given new mental powers, but the darkness that through ignorance and sin has clouded the understanding, is removed. The words, “A new heart also will I give you,” mean, “A new mind will I give you.” A change of heart is always attended by a clear conviction of Christian duty, an understanding of truth. He who gives the Scriptures close, prayerful attention will gain clear comprehension and sound judgment, as if in turning to God he had reached a higher plane of intelligence.

The Bible contains the principles that lie at the foundation of all true greatness, all true prosperity, whether for the individual or for the nation. The nation that gives free room for the circulation of the Scriptures opens the way for the minds of the people to develop and expand. The reading of the Scriptures causes light to shine into the darkness. As the Word of God is searched, life-giving truths are found. In the lives of those who heed its teachings there will be an undercurrent of happiness that will bless all with whom they are brought in contact.

For many years Jehoshaphat was allowed to live in peace, unmolested by the surrounding nations. “The fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the

land that were round about Judah.” From Philistia he received tribute-money and presents; from Arabia, large flocks of sheep and goats. “Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store. . . . Men of war, mighty men of valor, . . . waited on the king, beside those whom the king put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.” Blessed with “riches and honor in abundance,” he was enabled to wield a mighty influence for truth and righteousness.

God’s Church and Its Mission on Earth

By D. P. Miller

D. P. MILLER

The church is, so to speak, God’s dwelling-place in this world. He dwells among his people, leading and directing them by his Spirit. The church is the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Christ, the Master Builder, is choosing material for his spiritual temple. In the hands of the Skilful Mechanic the living stones are being hewn and squared as designed by the Great Architect, to fill a place appointed for them. The living stones are being tried, smoothed, and polished. They are being fitly framed together, and are growing unto an holy temple in the Lord. Eph. 2: 19-22; 1 Peter 2: 5.

The body of Christ is safeguarded in every way from failure against the attacks and snares of the enemy. God has left nothing out of his plan that is required for a thorough and complete redemption, neither has he added anything that would be cumbersome and unnecessary. The organization of the church is wonderful in symmetry and strength. There are no weak spots in it anywhere that would serve as an inlet for the enemy when the plan is rigidly adhered to; for the Lord has given gifts unto men whom he has set in the church as watchmen. These watchmen are to sound the trumpet when they see the enemy preparing for an attack, and to keep the army from slumbering on the battle-field.

Man’s danger of falling has ever been in the masterpiece of Satan’s deceptions; namely, “Ye shall not surely die: . . . ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” This deadly mixture has undermined the moral and physical state of mankind, has wrought ruin in home and society, and has cursed the earth to its very foundations. “Thou shalt surely die” is as true today as when first spoken to Adam in the garden of Eden.

We do not, of course, see a tangible fruit-laden tree growing in the midst of the earth today, but, figuratively speaking, we see its fruit scattered everywhere, in tobacco, tea, coffee, alcoholic liquors, in fact, in all narcotics and improper foods. And more subtle still, we see it in the fictional reading-matter which is so wide-spread and so appallingly indulged in today. This mixture of good and evil may be imbibed through the study of certain recitation matter. Sometimes it is found in a song, disguised by a beautiful melody; oftentimes in the words spoken by a worldly trained orator; and generally in the theater and dance-hall. Innumerable are the avenues by which Satan is disseminating his seed of evil, which always produces doubt and unbelief in the minds of his victims.

“Now,” said the apostle, “concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” 1 Cor. 12: 1. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. . . . And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits.” Eph. 4: 4-11; 1 Cor. 12: 4-10. Then men endowed with gifts are set in the church, each in his place, as under-shepherds of the flock, all working in harmony, and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Thus we see that the church has been fully equipped for service in the great plan for the redemption of the world, and whether it is preaching or teaching in the church on the Sabbath or teaching in the college on other days, the work is one, and all for one great purpose; namely, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Eph. 4: 12. The gift of discernment is God-given, but it is too often overlooked and lost sight of; yet there is nothing more essential in the Lord’s work than keen discernment.

Great responsibility is placed upon the remnant church in the carrying out of God’s purpose for the finishing of the work of salvation. There has not been, in all the ages of the past, so solemn a message entrusted to mortal man. The Lord said to Ezekiel, “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.” Eze. 33: 7. A watchman cannot afford to sleep on duty. His is a life of the greatest vigilance; he is ever on the lookout for approaching danger, always ready to warn his charges against possible injury and death.

David was a true shepherd, for he once slew a lion, and at another time a bear, rescuing a lamb from the mouth of each. Jesus, the Chief Shepherd of the flock, is our great example in faithfulness, for he laid down his life for the sheep. The pastor is held accountable for the souls under his care, as to how he gives the alarm in times of danger. For, said the apostle, “if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” 1 Cor. 14: 8. “Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. . . . But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will require at the watchman’s hand.” Eze. 33: 4-6.

Now while these words were spoken to Ezekiel, and apply particularly to ministers, yet we must not forget that all the members of the church are in a sense watchmen; therefore we see how important it is that Seventh-day Adventists guard against every encroachment of the enemy.

The college faculty, when rightly chosen and each member set in his place, may be to a great extent immune against Satan’s deceptions. Discernment is needed in the classification of both teachers and students. Discernment is required above all in the selection of the books to be used in teaching, in the subject-matter to be used in the lecture course or in the oratorical recital, etc. For if our children imbibe the mixture of good and evil, what will become of them?

The president of the college should possess great wisdom and discernment, but he cannot detect every flaw, neither can he be everywhere and see everything. Hence a share of the burden must rest upon the members of the faculty, according to their several abilities. On the part of parents, much must be learned before God’s purpose in the establishment of church-schools can be rightly understood. When parents realize more fully the danger in sending their children to the public school, where a mixture of good and evil is taught not only in books, but also through association with others, a great change will take place in the church. Selfishness originated in the heart of Satan, and all who are actuated by it are one with him. Now because education at the public school is free, many choose to jeopardize the souls of their children rather than sacrifice a little money and comfort in the effort to send them to the church-school. The church-school is the planting of the Lord, a part of his plan for the education and salvation of the youth, and this fact cannot with impunity be ignored.

The church has a tremendous responsibility in educating the children and in guarding them from the influences of the world. No greater missionary work can be accomplished than to bring the

children and youth into the church-school and college; and there can be no better way to instill into the minds of the youth a difference between the clean and the unclean, and enable them to discern between right and wrong. If, in the home, parents would talk faith in the message and in the work being done in all the different branches and would refrain from faultfinding and criticism of every kind, the children would learn to reverence God’s cause and would abide by it. Some parents are driving their children from the truth into the world by their grumbling and faultfinding. We do not say that there may not be cause for complaint sometimes, but who is responsible? Are you not of the body? “But now are they many members, but one body. . . . God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” 1 Cor. 12: 20-25. Teachers and parents should cultivate confidence in one another, and have mutual care for the children, thereby learning how best to treat the different temperaments. Perfection cannot be reached any faster in the work of education in the school than it can be in our own characters; and were all to see this in its true light, there would be less criticism and less difficulty in the work everywhere.

The emancipation of the fallen race from the thraldom of sin cost our Heavenly Father his all. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ filled up the cup of self-denial by leaving the courts of heaven, to come to this darkened and sin-cursed earth in order to save the lost.

Through every true-hearted father and mother, God’s love-stream flows onward to their children, and no man or woman whose heart is overflowing with love can fail to labor for the lost. Love for God, love for the truth, and love for the salvation of others are evidence that the love of God is being perfected in the heart. “Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth.” Yes, “love never falleth;” but these gifts that are set in the church, that are but a means to an end, for the perfecting and edifying of the body, till we all come to perfection in Christ, shall cease, and “whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.” 1 Cor. 13: 4-8.

God’s purpose will be carried out. His plan will not fail; for he said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” O that men would believe God’s word, and trust the Lord with the carrying on of his work!

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” Rev. 15: 2. Victory over every deception of Satan! Gathered at last with the triumphant host, around the throne in heaven! Glory to the Lamb. Amen.

College View, Nebr.

The Power of Prayer

By Kathirina Blossom Wilcox

KATHIRINA BLOSSOM WILCOX

“More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. Wherefore let thy voice Rise like a fountain for me night and day; For what are men better than sheep or goats That nourish a blind life within the brain, If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer Both for themselves and those who call them friend? For so the whole round earth is bound in every way, Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”

“Ask, and it shall be given you.”

How easy the conditions, and yet how few accept the promise! What does it mean to ask? What is prayer? Montgomery has thus defined it:—

“Prayer is the heart’s sincere desire, Uttered or unexpressed; The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast.”

Another says:—

“Say, what is prayer, when it is prayer indeed?— The mighty utterance of a mighty need. That man is praying who doth press with might Out of his darkness into God’s own light.”

“To pray is to desire, but it is to desire what God would have us desire. He who desires not from the bottom of his heart offers a deceitful prayer.”

Our will must be wholly submitted to his will; we must have confidence in him as we do in our dearest earthly friend, knowing, however, that he has all power in heaven and in earth, that he knows the end from the beginning, and that he always gives us what we ask for, or something better.

Let us turn to that God-breathed masterpiece of all literature,—the Sacred Scriptures,—and find therein the records of those noble men who, through faith, the golden chain which binds us to the heart of the Infinite, “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens.”

“Call upon me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.”

“If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”

“Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart; . . . trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

These are only a few of the many precious promises with which God’s unchangeable Word abounds, and which were to his people of old, and are to his people now, an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast.

For one example, let us take the life of Moses, the man of God. Israel, notwithstanding the loving-kindness and tender mercies of Jehovah and the wonderful patience of Moses, even while Moses was in the mountain of God receiving instruction for the people, yielded to their carnal natures and went back into idolatry.

God was displeased. “Get thee down,” he said to Moses. “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiffnecked people: let me alone that I may destroy them.” Then, said the Lord, “I will make of thee a nation greater . . . than they.”

O, what an offer! Who could resist the temptation? Long and patiently had Moses borne with the murmurings and complainings of the children of Israel, and now even the long-suffering and forbearance of God seem almost to have become exhausted in his dealings with this disobedient people.

The father of a great nation! What an opportunity! What glory and prominence it would bring to Moses! How it would exalt him in the eyes of the world! Will he accept the offer?

His heart is filled with love for his people. How he pleads with God! “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. . . . Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”

Ah, what a prayer is this! Can human mind fathom the simplicity, the grandeur, the self-abnegation, combined in this brief petition? A man of God indeed! Human?—Yes, but with his humanity so deeply buried that self is completely forgotten in his overwhelming love for God and humanity. The same possibilities of perfection are ours today. Can we fall short of this standard and yet succeed?—Surely we cannot.

We call to mind the prayer of Hezekiah, as he spread out the letter of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, before the Lord, and in his utter helplessness, but in all the earnestness of his soul, pleaded that God would vindicate his cause and put to flight the great army of the Assyrians, the leader of which had so boldly and blasphemously defied the God of Israel. The result?—The angel of the Lord smote in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand.

“Frail art thou, O man, as a bubble on the breaker, Weak, and governed by externals, like a poor bird caught in the storm; Yet thy momentary breath can still the raging waters, Thy hand can touch a lever that may move the world. O Merciful, we strike eternal covenant with thee!

For man may take for his ally the King who ruleth kings. How strong, yet how most weak; in utter poverty, how most rich; What possible omnipotence to good is dormant in a man! Prayer is a creature’s strength, his very breath and being; Prayer is the golden key that can open the wicket of mercy; Prayer is the slender nerve that moveth the muscles of Omnipotence.”

In idolatrous Babylon, in the king’s palace, holding a position of honor and trust in the king’s court, was a man of God, greatly beloved, a man who knew what it meant actually to dwell in the secret place of the Most High. With fasting and sackcloth and ashes he confessed his sins and the sins of his people, and pleaded with God to forgive and have mercy. Did he receive the assurance? Listen to his own testimony:—

“And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people; . . . yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel . . . touched me . . . and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter.”

God does not always answer immediately. Other agencies are often at work. “Wait on the Lord; . . . and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

Time and words fail us to tell of other wonders of prayer recorded in the Old Testament, how—

“Abraham’s servant prays, Rebecca appears; Jacob wrestles and prays, and prevails with Christ; Esau’s mind is wonderfully turned from the revengeful purpose he had harbored for twenty years. Moses prays, Amalek is discomfited; Joshua prays, Achan is overtaken; Hannah prays, Samuel is born; David prays, Ahithophel hangs himself; Asa prays, a victory is gained; Jehoshaphat cries to God, God turns away his foes; Mordecai and Esther and the Jews fast and pray, Haman is hanged on his own gallows in three days; Nehemiah darts a prayer, the king’s heart is softened in a minute; Elijah prays, a drought of three years succeeds; Elijah prays, rain descends apace; Elisha prays, Jordan is divided; Elisha prays, a child is brought back to life—because prayer reaches the heart of the Infinite.”

Did Alfred Tennyson overstate it when he said,— “More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of”?

We must not fail, however, to mention, among the New Testament examples, the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer which our Saviour taught his disciples, and which has been passed down through all the ages and is known throughout the world. This prayer expresses, in brief, all the essential requisites of a daily morning prayer,—praise to God, petition for daily needs, prayer for forgiveness, for guidance, for deliverance from temptation, unto him whose is “the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.”

The prayer of Christ for his disciples and for us his followers, recorded in the seventeenth of John, is the most beautiful in the Sacred Record. Not for himself did he pray, though he knew that the cross was just before; but, O, how his great heart of love yearned for his disciples, even though he knew that they would all forsake him and flee, and that one of them would deny him! He loved them, as he does us, with an everlasting love, and with loving-kindness he drew them to himself. He pleaded that they might be kept from the evil in the world, and that their hearts might be filled with love for God and for one another, even as he had loved them and the Father loved him.

We cannot pass over the night in Gethsemane with its agony of supplication, so full of sweet submission. While the heart of Jesus was wrung with anguish, and the weight of the sins of the whole world was resting upon him, hear that prayer, as the bloody drops stand out on his forehead, revealing something of the intensity of the struggle within; hear the words from a heart so full, a frame so weak, with all the hosts of darkness hovering near, almost triumphant in their seeming victory, and all heaven silently, longingly watching the conflict: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass.” It seems that he cannot bear it alone, forsaken, despised, rejected of men. Yet hear him still: “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

How heaven rejoices at this prayer, so full of sweet submission, so utterly empty of self! How the angels honor their noble Captain! how they long to strengthen and encourage him! Three times this yearning petition ascends to the throne above, and then a heavenly messenger is sent to strengthen him. He has prevailed with God, he faces the foe, meets the test of the ages, and, later, rises triumphant, the victorious, glorified Redeemer.

These answers came hundreds of years ago, but God is no respecter of persons. What he has done for others, he will most certainly do for us; for he is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Says Daniel March, D. D.: “We must not think that God was more interested in the world in ancient times when he spoke by miracles and prophets and apostles than he is now when he speaks by his written Word and by his holy providence. The heart of the infinite Father never yearned toward his earthly children with a deeper and more tender compassion than now. There never was a time when God was doing more to govern, to instruct, and to save the world than he is doing now. . . . We need only add the faith of the patriarchs to the science of the philosophers, and we shall find Bethels in the city and in the solitude, Mahanaims in every day’s march of the journey of life.”

“There is no joy, or duty, or conflict, or sorrow of life for which we cannot be better prepared by prayer. If the child would be kept from the paths of the destroyer while his heart is tender and his mind is not skilled to discern between good and evil, let him pray. If the young man (or the young woman) would pass in safety through the dark scenes of trial and temptation, let him pray. If the weary, hard-working, anxious man of business would not be wholly given up to a life of care and disappointment, let him pray. If the aged pilgrim would find the last days of life the best, and enter the valley of the shadow of death in peace, let him pray. If any one does not know by personal experience how much of heaven’s promised rest can be secured even now for the soul by prayer, he had better leave every other lesson of life unlearned until he has mastered that. The mightiest man on earth is the man who has most power with God.”

*Mountain View, Cal.

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