low-Christians a due sense of
the efficacy of our intercessions: "The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much." [James v. 16.] He instances its power with
God by the case of Elijah, a man so holy, that the Almighty suffered him
not to pass through the regions of death and the grave, but translated
him at once from this life to glory: "Elias was a man subject to like
passions as we are, and he prayed that it might not rain; and it rained
not on the earth by the space of three years and six months; and he
prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her
fruit." [James v. 17, 18.] And yet St. James is very far from suggesting
the lawfulness or efficacy of any invocation to the hallowed spirit of
this man, to whose prayer the elements and natural powers of the sky and
the earth had been made obedient. He exhorts all men to pray, but it
must be to God alone, and directly to God, without applying for the
intervention of any mediators or intercessors from among angels or men.
{53} "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth
liberally to all men, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him; but
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." [James i. 5, 6.] Like the
writer to the Hebrews, he would have us come ourselves "boldly" and
directly "to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need."

Surely, these Apostles, chosen vessels for conveying the truths of
salvation throughout the world, knew well how the Almighty could best be
approached by his children on earth; and had the invocation of saint or
angel found a place in their creed, they would not have kept so
important a truth from us.

Before leaving this part of our inquiry, I would propose the patient and
unprejudiced weighing of the import of two passages in the New
Testament, often quoted on this subject; one in the Acts of the
Apostles, the other in the Apocalypse.

The holy Apostles Barnabas and Paul, by the performance of a striking
miracle, had excited feelings of religious reverence and devotion among
the people of Lystra, who prepared to offer sacrifice to them as two of
their fabled deities. [Acts xiv. 11-18.] The indignant zeal with which
these two holy men rushed forward to prevent such an act of impiety,
however admirable and affecting, does not constitute the chief point for
which reference is here made to this incident. They were men, still
clothed with the taber