distinction from the Son, and we almost

marvel to find so many words of the Saviour

offered exclusively to Christ. But these also plainly indicate a change in the practice of the apostles. "In that day ye shall ask me nothing”—is an admission that in this day ye do ask me some things at least. But were these questions prayers? We think not. Evidently the writer of this work would deny that those questions which they had been accustomed to ask the Saviour were prayers, for he does not admit that the disciples had ever prayed to Christ. If those askings were not prayers, then nothing is said in this passage about praying to Christ, and therefore it proves nothing.

Where God said to Ananias concerning Saul, "Behold he prayeth"* and when Ananias said to Saul, "Be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord," here is prayer offered to Christ. The proof is that Saul was a zealous devoted Pharisee, living according to the straitest practices of that sect that were celebrated for their numerous and long prayers to God. Saul, while one of them, walked in all good conscience, and was exceedingly zealous toward God. Of course he offered much prayer to God. When Jesus said to Ananias, "Behold he prayeth," there could have been only one thing new in this announcement, viz., that Saul prayed to Christ. And this the whole narrative shows. Lest these passages which we deem entirely incontrovertible, should not be duly considered, we beg leave to reproduce them.

"Who art thou, LORD? I am JESUS of Nazareth.. LORD, what wilt thou have me to do? And the LORD said unto him, Arise and go into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must do. . . And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And to him said the LORD in a vision; Ananias, And he said behold I am here LORD. And the LORD said unto him arise and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold he prayeth. . . Then Ananias answered, LORD I have heard, by many, of this man, how much evil he hath done to THY saints at Jerusalem; and here he hath authority from the

*Acts 9: 11 and 22: 16.

chief priests to bind all that call on THY NAME. But the LORD said I will show him what great things he must suffer for MY NAME'S SAKE. And Ananias went his way and said, Brother Saul, the LORD even JESUS that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent that he might bring them [that called on the name of Jesus] bound unto the chief priests? Acts. 9.

In ch. 22d, Paul relates these facts in a public speech in Jerusalem, substantially as given above, and adds that Ananias said "The GOD OF OUR FATHERS hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see that JUST ONE and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth. . . and now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the LORD JESUS. And it came to pass that when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; and saw HIM [Jesus] saying unto me, make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning ME. And I said LORD, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on THEE [Jesus] and when the blood of THY martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by and consenting unto his death," &c.

In the foregoing quotations we think three things are made as plain as any words need make them. 1. That Christ was addressed according to the ordinary form of prayer to God. 2. That he answered prayer offered to him. 3. That all believers in Christ were known by their offering prayer to Christ, or calling on his name. In addressing the Corinthians,* Paul designates all Christians as "All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Chist our Lord." When Stephen was suffering martyrdom, for the name and sake of Jesus, he "looked steadfastly into heaven, and saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God," and prayed "LORD JESUS receive my spirit LORD lay not this sin to their charge," and then fell asleep. His dying *Comp. 1 Cor. 1: 2, and 2 Tim. 2: 22.

words were a prayer to Christ. Our author notices this occurrence as follows: "This was not prayer. This was not an address to an invisible being, it was speaking to one whom

he saw.

The heavens were opened and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He had a vision of the risen Saviour with a countenance and gesture of welcome for his dying servant. He thus commended his spirit to one who had personally appeared to lead him through the dark valley to the mansion of eternal rest.'

In this quotation, three items of proof are furnished that Stephen did not pray to Christ. 1. Our author says so, and he is good authority. 2. Christ was visible to Stephen. But cannot one pray to a visible object? If Stephen had addressed the Father at that time in the same words would it not have been a prayer, visible though he was? Could not Adam and Eve pray to a visible God as well as the Christian who sees by an eye of faith? 3. Not a prayer but a commendation of his spirit to the care of Jesus, who had come to accompany him through the valley and who beckoned him onward. Did not the Father come also on the same errand? Then why was the spirit committed to Jesus, if Christ was not equal with the Father? And which was it, the Father or the Son, that welcomed Stephen with countenance and gesture? All we know of this welcome and of the gestures is what our worthy opponent has supplied, the Scriptures being wholly silent on the subject. But the good Dr. does not even mention the last petition in Stephen's prayer— "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Perhaps it is less easy to explain away the fact that this was a prayer. Perhaps if our friend should undertake this, he would disjoint the narrative, and inform us that the gesticulation of welcome had ceased, and that this part of the prayer was addressed to the visible Father -we say visible, for Stephen saw God's glory and Jesus standing at his right hand. But this disruption would not obviate all difficulties even if it could be successfully accomplished as the same Lord. [Greek, Kurie from Kurios] is addressed in both portions of the prayer. And what less than a prayer the concluding portion of the revelation of God; "Even so

mention it as a Christian exercise. Tertullian, Hippolit Justin Martyr, and others who immediately succeeded th tles, speak of it. Pliny, who was Roman governer of nia, under the emperor Trajan, informed the emperor t Christians whom he had tried, used to assemble and sing and offer prayer to Christ as to a God. The acknowledg dor of Pliny and the fact that this information was "during the judicial trials of Christians, entitles this testi the fullest credit. Another authentic record informs during the persecution of the Christians under the Diocletian, a Christian city in Phrygia was destroyed, men, women and children submitted to their fate, cal Christ, the God over all." From the days of the apostle now, Christians generally have been wont to pray to Chr

What an amount of confidence, what untold joy does it to know that we can approach him in prayer who has bo diseases, felt our infirmities, endured our woes and felt pressure of our temptations! How sweet to know that listened to tales of sorrow and granted relief to the pe permits us still to come to him in prayer! And to kn this our elder brother is the Lord Almighty, fills the pio with transports of delight.

Christ not an object of divine worship.

"Christ did not present himself as an object of ad There is not, in the New Testament, a single instance of to Jesus, nor is there a single case in which homage to him in the way in which it is paid to God. There are many ascriptions of praise to him; but they are always

panied with a specific designation of his work and office as Mediator, and generally with an express reference to the eternal Father as alone supreme. But there are several instances in which persons are said to have worshipped Jesus. The word translated worship does not, however, necessarily denote the rendering of divine honors, but simply prostration, or other external marks of homage or reverence, such as are paid by inferiors to superiors." &c. pp. 16, 17.

This question of divine worship we have divided for convenience, and have already considered that part of it which relates to prayer. If we have succeeded in showing that prayer was rightfully offered to the Saviour, we have proved that he was properly an object of divine worship. If we can If we can now show that acts of divine worship and that ascriptions of divine praise were properly offered to him, either in connection with prayer or otherwise, our argument will, we think, be doubly conclusive. A criticism is offered in relation to the word worship to which we will first attend. The Greek word most frequently rendered worship in the New Testament is proskuneo. This word occurs sixty times in the New Testament and is, in every instance, rendered worship. It is the word used by the adversary when he addresses the Saviour in Matt. 4:9, and Luke 4: 7, where he solicits the Saviour to fall down and worship him. It is the word the Saviour uses in his reply, "It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." The Saviour also uses it in his conversation with the woman of Samaria, John 4:20-24, and the woman uses the same word. Here it occurs nine times, and here the Saviour says, "They that worship the Father must worship him in spirit and in truth." It is the word used in Revelation, in those utterances where is described the worship of him that liveth forever and ever. It is also the same word that is used with a reference to idolatrous worship in Revelation and with reference to the proposed homage of Cornelius to Peter, and of John to the angel, and in the reproof of the angel who tells John to "Worship God." Once only it is used to denote a deep humiliation and abasement and homage of one man to another—a very wicked, and guilty, and cringing servant, no doubt, who was willing to offer divine worship