PRAYER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 4 October 1913, Page 3

PRAYER.

WHO MAY PRAY AND WHO MAY NOT, PRAYER NOT A DUTY, BUT AN INESTIMABLE PRIVILEGE.

(Inserted by Arrangement.)

Our sermon this weeET by Pastor Russell, of the Tabernacle, is on prayer, from the text, "Mine house shall bo called an house of prayer for all poople" (Isaiah lvi. 7). The Pastor said: Tho Great Teacher's words applied to the Jewish Temple, which in turn was typical of the greater Temple, the Spiritual Temple of the future, the anti-typical Temple which has not yet been built. St. Peter describes it as the Church in glory. He tells that Christ is its chief Corner Stone, and that all til© faithful saints of God are living stones, now being chiselled and polished for places in that glorious Temple. As in the type, so in the antitype, the finished structure will be followed by Divine recognition. The Temple will be filled with tho glory of the Lord, and be thus marked as His dwelling place for all time. Thus will be established—very soon, we trust—God's antltypical House of Prayer, wherein and whereby all mankind may come into fellowship with their Creator and have communion with Him through His appointed agencies. Be it noted, said the Pastor, that thia picture is not present. Now, there is no provision for any to draw near to God except the Priesthood—Jesus and his Church —to whom St. Peter refers as the Royal Priesthood, the peculiar people. ONLY THE CONSECRATED MAY PRAY.

When I refer to consecrated priests do not misunderstand me to mean the clergy of any or all denominations. The Bible recognises no clerical class, but declares, "All ye are brethren. One is your Master, even Christ" (Matt. xxii. 8). For more than 18 centuries God's work in the world has been the calling out, from amongst men, of this Royal Priesthood class. Jesus, their High . Priest, was first called to suffering and then to glory; and his footstep followers have sincei been invited to suffer with him that they may also reign with him. None but this Royal Priesthood have access to God, now, and they though their great Head, the High Priest of their profession. These, by faith, have access to God in prayer at the Golden Altar of Incense, see by the light of the Golden Candlestock, and partake of the Holy Bread of Divine Truth. Through this Royal Priesthood mankind will in the future have access to God.

Nearly all Christian people in the past have discerned the subject of prayer very indistinctly. - Sinners have been urged to pray; moralists, who have accepted Christ as their Saviour, have been chided for not praying. The impression has been given to the' world that God is very anxious to have some recognition on. the part of humanity, and that He will be glad to be approached by anybody at any time. How strange a mistake!

Was it not God who denounced ein and placed thq penalty of death upon the sinner, and cut the sinner off from fellowship with Himself ? Has He changed? Was not the statement that "God heareth not sinners" a correct oneP Can anyone rush into the presencei of an earthly potentate? How strange that any should expect to be privileged to enter thrt Divine presence without • and with more ■ or less selfi*hneßS filling the heart and impelling thorn to make request® for Heavenly favours I THE CHURCH HAS AN ADVO-

OATE. God's arrangement wheroby His consecrated people may approach Him is in accord witE this "We, (the Royal Priesthood) have an Advocate _ w ith the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous," writes the Apostle John (I. John ii. 1). But before the "Redeemer will become the Advocate for any, certain terms must bo complied with. He serves only those who become his ( discfplfes. None others have any access to God in the Age. Perhaps there is something revolut'ionary in this thought whu© all may more or less worship in the sense of bowing; down in public worship and showing reverence to the Almighty, none but the consecrated followers of Jesus have any assurance whatever of the Divine supervision of their affairs. None but these have any authority for coming to God in prayer. , ~ One exception to this rule should be stated here. The children of consecrated believers( the children of the Royal Priesthood, while they are still immature of judgment, have a standing with God and in His great arrangement, through their relationship to their parents. St. Paul makes this very evident (see I. Cbr. 14 >- , The translation of the above text beclouds the Apostle's thought, which is that where either parent has become a child of God by becoming a disciple of Jesus, the children stand related to God, regardless of the standing of the other parent. Such children may participate in worship and prayer on the score of the relationship of the ' parent to God through Christ. But this relationship manifestly, terminates shortly after the child shall have reached a. discerning condition of mind—a personal knowledge of its responsibilities. Thereupon the child must make a personal covenant with the Xiord, or else have its standing with the remainder of the world, and that standing, be it remembered, does not mean liability to everlasting torment. It merely means alienation, separation, from God and from His special providences in the present time. The Divine arrangement is for the ultimate blessing of Adam and all of his posterity through the Messianic King-

dom—through the Temple of glory and its Royal Priesthood glorTfied, in its Kingdom power for a thousand years. BE NOT DISCOURAGED.

Homo might be inclined to say, There are millions of people who, with more or less formality, approach God in prayer daily. 'Should we not fear that after a truthful presentation of the facts these would be discouraged V Our reply is that the whole responsibility for the Divine plan reste upon its Divine Author, who says, "He that hath My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully" (Jer. xxii. 28). It is not for us Co be wise above what is written. Indeed, it is my opinion that the preaching of the truth on this subject may bring many indifferent on&s to the point of decision and thus greatly benefit them. Have we not been telling the world in general that there is practically no difference between God's people by consecration and the children of this world? Have we not been misleading them in respect to their privileges ? Is it not high time that they were told the truth on this, as well as on some other subjects? There is a great deal of sleepiness amongst Christian people. Many have mixed for themselvee theological potions, in which a form of godliness combined with worldliness is producing a lethargy as respects good Bible study, Christian character, and the service"~of God as HT& ambassadors. We would like to awaken these, to have them know that they are triflng with the Gospel call, that they have neither IoT nor part in the matter as yet, and that unless they awaken and take the. decisive step, they will be forever outside the High calling and the Church, of the Gospel Age. ■ - 1 - - St. _ Jetties calls attention io the fact that many prayers are entirely unheard. They are not heard because the petitioners haye asked amiss—for things intended merely for their own comfort and the carrying out of their own desires. Such prayers are not authorised, and answers are not to be expected.