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January 10, 19121
I WHAT ABOUT THIS!
The Presbyterian church at Cotter,
Ark., has decidedly the best equipped
house of worship to be found in the
Ozark district between Batesville, Ark.,
and Carthage, Mo.
The building is constructed of solid
concrete with interwoven re-enforcements
of iron and wire which renders
it almost indestructible- The heavy art
glass windows add beauty as well as
substantiality to the structure. The interior
is finished with corrugated iron
ceiling and plastered walls. The woodwork
is hand polished and stained to
match the tinted walls and celling. The
seats are of beautiful dark oak with
hard wax finish which insures durability.
Altogether, the building and its
furnishings would do credit to a town
much larger than this mountain village
of fifteen hundred population.
Soon after the building was commenced.
several substantial members
were removed from Cotter as the result
of a strike in the car shops of the St.
tx>uis> Iron Mountain and Southern
Railway. This left the few remaining
members with a greater task on their
hands than they had bargained for at
the outset. They didn't feel like they
were able to build as costly a house
as had been commenced, but they were
convinced that such a building was
needed if the town should continue to
grow, as they expected it would. So,
Instead of making the mistake, that is
so commonly made by small congregations.
of looking out for only the pres.
pnt- fVi/vtr ?
w ouiiimuucu u jj uuunige 10 go
ahead with the original plans and build
a house that would not have to be torn
down In a few years to give place to
a larger oneIn
completing this building as we
have indicated, a debt amounting to
*1.200.00 had to be incurred. We believe,
however, that they have acted
wisely in what they have done, but
we also believe that our church will
make a mistake if she does not make
Spuff t?. 'iuH
Presbyterian Church, Cotter, Ark.
a greater effort to share such unequal
burdens as this. Such a debt ought to
be wiped out by the stronger churches;
for this little congregation will have
a heavy load during the next few years
in supporting a pastor and keeping up
the other contingent expenses. Our
home mission committees are doing
what they can to meet these needs but
there are so many such cases that they
cannot reach them all with the few
dollars intrusted to them for this kind
of work.
We do not expect the best paying
business enterprises to result from poorly
equipped plaints that have to struggle
along for years with only half enough
capital. Then, why not use business
inHirmatit in nafaViliahlnft ft new Church?
Some Presbyteries have adopted the
plan of individual pledges, whereby individuals
pledge themselves to give so
much during the year to erect new
churches within their own Presbytery,
This would be an excellent plan for
the General Assembly to adopt, rather
than the Presbytery; because this would
make each individual member of the
whole Southern Church responsible for
this extension work and the solicitation
of these pledges would remind each
.member of that responsibility.
THE PRESBYTERI
Since, however, this plan hag not
been adopted by the General Assembly
and may never be. is there not some
Individual or church or society ,that
can spare a few dollars to assist this
worthy cause at Cotter? If so, send
what God prompts you to give to Mr.
W. J. Metcalf, Treas. of Bldg. Fund.,
Cotter, Ark. A. C. McKinnon.
A VIEW OF PRAYER.
By Lawrence Mendenhnll.
This is a subject one can well take
time to consider, connected as It Is so
inseparably with our spiritual life, and
our soul's uplift.
What medicine is to a sick body, is
prayer to the sin-sick, discouraged,
struggling spiritual nature of our being.
Take down your Bible; wipe off
the dust, and examine the concordance,
then a new view of the importance of
prayer will be had.
"And I saw a new heaven, and a new
earth" will become as realistic to you
as in tne days or Jobn, but tbe con.
ditiong must be fulfilled by the drawing
nearer to God. Is there any surer
way than by prayer?
Eliminate prayer from a person's life
and you knock down one of the pillars
cf strength of life's edifice, weakening
It so that when the evil days draw
nigh, It toppleth to the ground.
We all know what prayer is. It Is
the placing of the heart's desires before
your heavenly Father, leaving the fulfilling
to him. Let us be sure that our
desires are in accordance with his approval,
remembering that words do not
make prayer, or that you shall be
heard for your much speaking.
Just here ofttlmes Satan tempts by
whispering, "Your Father knows what
things you have need of before you ask
mm; wny men ao you notner him?
Will he yield to your Importuning what
he would not give to your needs?"
No! hut asking la the necessary condition
ofttlmes for our receiving, for let
ug remember what he Is. Christians In
their temptations should take comfort
In the thought that Satan never tempts
his own?he Is sure of them. Liet us
pIbo hear In mind that It Is useless for
the doctor to prescribe. If the patient
refuses to take the medicine. "We must
pray and act.
But prayer la not: merely asking; it
Is a sweet communion, fellowship, an
Intermingling of our life with God's, a
conversation with our heavenly Father.
A.g Henry Ward Beecher says: "Prayer
Is In Its fullest conception, the noblest
attitude of communion, or converse
with God. Prayer la not the voice of a
beggar. It is the llft'ng up of the soul
out of matter Into the presence of a
God of love."
The first element entering to prayer
Is faith, born of trust, of love, veneration,
and unselfishness, for we know we
cannot separate these when It comes to
following the Saviour. In the words of
an anonomous writer, viz.; "Often
when we pray for some object; control
?f eelf. conversion of a friend or ease
from some sorrow, we are tempted to
think, 'That will never come to pass.'
The thought is spontaneous, yet it. to
a greater or less degree, takes hold of
us and affects our praying. It is due
to our human short-sight, and to our
letting the things of earth look too
large to us. "We mock God when we
ask for something, and still think he
cannot give it."
Some people try to dodge this
phase of the question, but let me warn,
that when God begins to throw atones
of truth, he is hound to hit somebody.
I^et us remember the words of Mon.
sleur De MoHnos: "The prayer of
faith is the sincere, sweet and quiet
view of divine, eternal truth. The soul
rests quiet, perceiving and loving God;
sweetly rejecting all the imaginations
AN OF THE SOUTH
that present themselves; calming tba
mind in the Divine Presence, and fixing
it only on God."
We can never test the traces until we
begin to pull, so we can never find the
strength of the prayer until we use the
means of grace presented to us.
Can we afford to hold back. balk, and
rely upon our strength when we hear
the Saviour's voice telling us In tones
of love to call upon him?
In answer to this the Book says we
are to "come boldly to the throne of
grace." Here again comes in faith, for
faith drlveth away fear.
In answer to the question: "How is
prayer to be offered?" let me sav that
environment, disposition, and early
i.twutue euici lai^ci; iuiu iae question
and answer- From my standpoint,
I believe In talking to God, for it
makes him more realistic and near.
You talk to your friend, why not talk
to your Lord, who is truly the Friend
of sinners?
To use the words of Rev. F. W. Tompkins.
"If you walk by your friend's
side, and did not say a word to him, it
would become more difficult for you to
speak to him. On the other hand, the
more you speak the easier it becomes.
So with the dear Lord. Speak to him
about everything that comes to you;
say, 'Good morning, dear Master!'
when you awake; speak to him all the
time, and see how near he will seem.
i ou can never lose God, and he never
will lose you. If you do not realize his
near presence, speak and hear the answer.
At first It may seem formal, because
it Is so long since you have
spoken, but It will soon become natural
and easy, and great peace will resultDo
It voluntarily, and it will soon become
involuntary."
Quoting again, let us read what that
wonderfully religious preacher. Phillips
Brooks, says: "Pray anxiously. Pray
passionately In the simplest of all
words, with the simplest of all thoughts.
Pray, the manliest thing that a man
can do, the fastening of his life to the
eternal, the drinking of a thirsty soul
out of the great fountain of life."
But these are only words of man and
by turning to Matt. 6:7, we learn what
the Lord says: "But when ye pray,
do not use vain repetitions as the
heathen do; for they think they shall
he heard for their much speaking."
Another point In prayer Is. the hearing
following the asking, and In Proverbs
15:29 we find these words: "The
Lord is far from the wicked, but he
heareth the prayer of the righteous."
Be sure, however, when we pray that
the request Is such that we can ask
God's blessing upon It, and that God In
his Infinite wisdom may see fit to grant.
Humility here enters as an aspect of
prayer. We must see that we lose ourselves,
and elevate him, and give credit
to him when we say, "Thy will be
done." Read Peter 5:5, and we will be
convinced that the wisdom of men Is
foolishness with God.
In answer to the question, when,
where and what prayer Is to be offered,
refer to Luke 18.1. "And he spake a
parable unto them to this end, that men
ought always to pray and to faint not."
Melanctbon says: "Trouble and perplexity
drive us to prayer, and prayer
drlveth away perplexity."
Is there not in this an element of selfishness?
Should we only come to our
Saviour with our troubles, and not
thank him for blessings which are not
to be counted?
Right here note a difference. We
come to man with our troubles, and he
says, "I've not time to lrBten. I have
my own." We go to Qod in our misery,
and he says, "Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest." Can, and do we
doubt him?
Sometimes a person will say. "I can.
J"T* (41) 17
not pray to my Saviour unless I am la
my closet" We can each and every
one of us thank God that a Christian
can erect hlg altar in his office, or on
the street and that the Saviour's ear
will be ever open to his cry.
Sincerity, not man service, enters always
as a requisite for the answering
of prayer. I would rather be a Christian
on my feet, than a hypocrite on
my knees.
We now come to the absorbing topic
or question, "Does God answer prayer?"
Do we dare, as his professed followers,
say he does not? Look 'round
about you; unto your own every-day
life; Into history; read the many answers
In the Old and New Testament,
and then dare to perjure your sincere
rnnvlrHnno I f V* o I
? ? ?vu a ucuiai.
The granting, and the withholding
rests with him, and It Is for us to wait
patiently upon him. There Is not one
of ug who hag not had prayers answered
without number, both directly
and Indirectly, and seen as well the Infinite
wisdom displayed.
Family prayers, or at least a time
set apart for devotion and med'tatlon.
are not only extremely helpful, but
necessary, and I would say to parents
to start early with your children. The
simple, "Now I lay me," never grows
old, as we look back to the time when
a mother's lap was our altar, before
which we ofTered our childish devotions.
A short morning prayer, and a verse
of Scripture before going to business,
or the duties of the day, will be found
extremely helpful. Any business man
can certainly spare this much time. I
recommend to him, and to others, these
books found by me to be very uplifting,
viz.: "Daily Strength for Dally
Needs," "Dally Food,!' ;and "Boacon
Lights on Life's Journey."
What exercise Is to the muscles, is
prayer to your spiritual life. The more
prayer is indulged In, and child-like
trust shown, the more the transcendent
love and power is shown, and help
comes with convincing force. The
reason why people doubt prayer is because
it Ig too seldom Indulged In.
Read 1 John 5:14, and be comforted.
With these statements and facts before
you, let me ask, "What does
prayer mean to you?" Does it mean an
uplift, a closer communion with your
heavenly Father? Or does it simply
mean a perfunctary recital of words,
because you feel you ought to pray?
If the last, rest assured that the bles
?iu6 win uui cuuie lU you in its ruuest
and moBt sacred meaning; and until
faith removes all doubt, and Jesus
Christ becomes to you your daily Companion
and Guest.
God grant that we may pray aright,
and thereby bask in the sunshine of
his love; and as the sunflower turns
towards the sun, so may we tarn
towards the Son of RightiJuaness for
help and comfort when we pray.
THE BENEFIT OF PARABLES.
Christ spake to them in parables;
he gave them the truth, not in abstract,
but in concrete form, as illustrated in
the common events and occupations of
life. ThiB they could carry away; this
they would remember; this they could
relate to others; this would lodge in
their hearts and might grow and blossom
forth at last into clear meaning.
Those present v/ho were susceptible,
would enjoy its benefit, just in propor
uvu ?g mey were suscepume; while
those who were not susceptible would
not be Injured, but would at least?
so the Master hoped?be In some measure
blesced. We see what splendid
wisdom and tact Christ employg In his
efforts to carry out his sublime purpose.
Like the apostle, "he is all things
to all men."?Rev. Dr. A. Vannema, la
The Christian Intelligencer.