UNITED INTERCESSORY SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 8, 4 October 1917, Page 6

UNITED INTERCESSORY SERVICE

FOR OUR KING AND EMPIRE. The usual service in the committee room will not be held on Sunday afternoon, owing to the larger service arranged for in the Town Hall by Hie Worship the Mayor, in connection with the Day of National Prayer. Probably .xmr National Government did not realise that it was doing a groatthing when appointing a Day of National Prayer. It is also probable that our newspaper Press and the mass of the people generally do not anticipate that there will be any material results that are likely to eventuate through an peal to "the powers that be" in the un-' seen world for help in this dreadful war. Possibly the long years during which our Empire has enjoyed such great prosperity has accustomed us all more or- less to think that terrestrial events and human destinies are to.a large extent just as we mortals ourselves shape them. God hides His power in such a wonderful way that it is only when He, through His Holy Spirit, is pleased to open men's eyes that they come to believe in Him in spite of - appearance- and in Hie wake of shattering judgments, through forfeiture and eclipse, and this is, indeed, a great thing. Many notable instances can be given wherein during the thirty to sixty years appeals for Divine aid in times of national peril have been' made in Great Britain, the Dominions, and in the United States, and wliilsbon (every occasion there have been striking proofs of the Divine power manifested, not once can it be said, that such appeals have been made in vain. If it # be asked what grounds have we m toping i tint God will put forth.His powfr on our i behalf, we would point, for example to i Abraham, who pleaded for the wicked City of Sodom, which would have been spared had it contained ten righteous perrons. Wo are aware that there are Christians who so seclude themselves from others bearing the same name that they do not feel it incumbent upon them to 'bo greatly interested in prayer for any beyond their own particular fellowship. They appear to imagine', but in our judgment mistakenly so. that their heavenly inheritance in Christ frees them from yielding'the fullest obedience to the commands of earthly Governments, nor have they concern for matters affecting'the commonweal. l»e example of Abraham, a representative man of faith, is in striking contrast to all such. His brother, Lot, is involved in trouble through his own world}- ways,. "bait Abrahnm docs not heVitate to use force and to take im arms for the reliei of that brother. His heart is so warm, towards even wicked Sodom that he prays earnestly to God that it may be spared. How much more .may we. through our great High Priest the Lord .Tcsus Christ, prayfdr the relief of our brethren, and for the nations now involved in the bloodshed, ruin, and misery of f.iis cruel war. Tennyson, in Mβ "Idylls." truly says "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."- Prnyer changes thin??. We are confident that the war from tins time will take on a different aspect. Let there bo no mistake about it, but that nrayer is the mipN-iost thin? put into human hands. We are pleased to Hiinic that this is fully realised by Bishop Swott, Dr. Gibb, and, we hope, also by all our Christian ministers. If there-, be rent faith in God exercised at this time bv His pnople, we havo good reason to hope that He will zive .us. help and deliverance, nor will He require to- use any gri-at thing, cither, to accomplish H "cKpon Me in the day of troiiWa; T will rlMivPr Hio". and thou shalt glorify Me."—Pealm h, 15. -{Published bj ArraJigemont.) ,