Sermon Preached in Holy Trinity Cathedral on Sunday Morning, September.
23, by, Dean Trivett "Moreover for me God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." I Sam. XII. 28.
You will remember the setting. of St, John XVII. And as the cruel Samtuel. has placed Saul over Israel, Henceforth the supreme power will bein the hands of the king and Samet will be retiring from much selves and others a grievous wrong. of his: active work. He has re-'We wander blindly when we might signed his judgeship and in the have light. We live in weakness future he will sce the people less ree ince. cee and: his direct influence wil! be the needs. of others and we think smaller. But there is one duty and Privilege he will not have to forego we forget the command! We ignore will teach them no longer, he will ate Tena to be fend hand-his government over' to nnthat with many of us prayer is a other, but one thing he can and paneer Ad ris will do, He can pray for them!
Sieratoes a deapeting "eeiare He can intercede with God on their rather than the sure grasp of faith. behalf, "And God forbid," he says, yates Tress oe osset "that T should sin against the Lord mr in ceasing to pray for you." etd Sins chaute abate Is there not a lesson here for us all? Sometimes we must forego soe pee waa many things that we would like to Wee Rant Woe oak os. ben be able to do for others. Tow often We seem to stand powerless to help where We would. But have we turned: to God in prayer? For or SRR ie et tas "More things are wrought by pray-Peal mai ehthne than this world dreams of."
'And we can always pray. 'There fare times when we can do little troubled—when with -us else, But no change, no distance, And ey and strength and court no external circumstance isa ate' with Thee? 4 darner to prayer, We need never Oh, that we might realize more cease to pray. "God forbid" we whata talent of usefulness. might should fail our friends in the here be developed by us, Evers ministry: of intercession, for "the channel of good is circumscribed, fervent prayer of a righteous man but this has no limit, Wherever availethy much, you are, by night and day, whatever the circumstances, we can Answers {0 Tatercession our hearts in. prayer, and in doing Did you ever notice what a large it space is annihilated, those other= proportion of Our Lord's miracles wise inaccessible to us, the quilt-were done in answer to intercessory lees, the farthest from God, prayer? Almost all of them were reached and. linked to. God.' By triumphs of Ifsh prayer.
Prayer we are engaging Friends and relatives brought their omnipotent to do for us, we are tick and suffering ones and laid enlisting the interposition of Infinit m at His feet and there is no Tave. The whole world Ts our field Instance of ineffectual) prayer. and God Is ovr arm when we tim healed them all. And "Feaus to prayer. "God forbid" then that Christ is the same yesterday, and we "should sin against the Lord in to-day, and forever. ceasing to pray" for ourselves and To the Christian intercessory especially for the needs of others. prayer should be the most natural For who think you are the more thing in the world. There is one the so-called workers. oF T would help on earth. One to sing ones? Who were they hom my love and sympathy goes Israelites on the plains oF out, and I have a Father in Heaven, Moses on the hill—which conquered Joving and almighty. How can we Amalek. May we not find one day do otherwise than seek to bring that we have made strange mistakes these two together. To that Father about cause and effect, and that T'have access at all times. That then earn to trace results one for whom I care has many to very different origins than those wants, and many sorrows, many. which we assign them here? sins. With those wants, and those The Only Proof sorrows, and those T cannot deal personally. But I eah take There is only one way to prove him and all that touches him for that God answers prayer, and that weal and woe to that Father. And is by prayer. Answers to prayer can engage for him a better love, may not be capable of logical stronger arm than mine, How cap demonstration, we inlay rarely. see I excuse myself if T do not pray or understand just how and where for him, bear his need before that His touch has shaped the rather, but that He does answer pr most certain, This is the testimony A Solemn Duty of countless' men and women, who!
But not only is intercessory prayer have made life problems, ' their a natural thing, not only a needs, and those of others, a privilege, it is a solemn duty that matter of prayer, that many a time! is laid upon us. St, Paul lays it! the clouds on their path have been down as a positive command, and lifted, needs have been satisfied and makes it the primary obligation of wants supplied, the way marked out every Christian, "I exhort, there-Just as clearly as though manna had fore," he says, "that first' of all fallen from Heaven, of the way had applications, Cinterees-Doeg marked ty a: pila: of eleed sions), and giving of thanks be made for all men." And he adds There is a fineypassage in the this sound reason. "For this is d'Arthur." The king good and acceptable in the sight of Than thia world dreams of. Wherefor ore things are wrought by prayer God our Saviour."
"Be ye followers of me as T am Tet thy. voice of Christ Jesus" he said in another Rise like 'a fountain for me night and day Place. And is there anything that For what are men better than sheep we can do that leads us so closely in the footsteps of our blessed Lord 9 Lind Hife within the and Master than by intercession for pai, If, knowing God, they lift not hands Not only do we know in prayer live th to make intercession Both "for 5 and those who but we have the Gospels all 4 as our witness to the fact that it round world is was His constant practice in the Bound ty igoléen chain about the days of His flesh, and he changes eet of God.
feel that love that was May "we not then during thi Poured out had its source in those autumn and winter make more of time apart when He was praying, our opportunities.of prayer. It is not for Himself, but for others. a duty, a privilege, Remember He said to St.. Peter, And may I have prayed for thee." " Again, morning appeal especially that we AL pray to the Father for you." - We make more of our privilege of Wwe the great high priestly prayer intercessory. prayer, We are try-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.