Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-07-10

with thanksgiving, let your requests be
made known unto God and the peace of
God, which passeth all understanding,
| shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus y This way of disposing of
our cares ard anxieties is so little UNDER
stood, or so much disliked, that we are in
clined to doubt its efficacy in our own
case or to ask,-how is it possible, in
world like this, to 'be careful for moth
ing 2" Our temporal cares are, as we
think, our chief hindrances in prayer
We even turn them, at times, into excus-
es for the neglectofprayer and imagine,
when our cares are many and pressing,
that much prayer cannot be expected from
US. For, whatever influence the calami-
ties of life may have in sending us often
to our knees, the cares of life have direct
tendency to set aside, or shorten secret
prayer Indeed, at first sight, our ordin-
airy cares do not seem, 10 us, to be things
which prayer can remedy; but things
(which on " time and toll can remove
Accordingly, when our temporal affairs
go wrong, or our prospects darken, with
out exactly overwhelming US, we natural
Ily devote tothem, not larger measure of
secret prayer, but larger portion oflime
and thought. 1t is thinking, not praying,
that seems called for, under embarrass-
ment and anxiety. Under heavy calami-
Ity, whether personal or domestic, we see
at once. that prayer is our only resource,
because God alone can deliver US but
when we are merely vexed or plagued,
we feel as if deliverance depended more
upon our own good manag ement, or upon
) the conduct of others, than upon the prov
} idence of God. Thus we are tempted to
lessen prayer and to increase effort, under
: an idea that great effort is the only rene
dy.
And, certainly, without effort, prayer
} will not prove remedy for misfortune,
) or embarrassment. He who does nothing
but pray, when the times are bad, or his
affairs trying. will not surmount his diff
culties. Prayer will not pay my debts
nor maintain credit, nor meet the emer-
gences of business. A man PRAYING,
: when he ought to be aoorking. is brother
IN impiety to the man who is working
t when he ought to be praying. This con
a cession cannot be too frankly made, nor
too forciby stated, by the ministers Of the
f gospel. 1t is not, however, in this way
: that the truly serious are in most danger
: Of erring. When any thing of this kind
: occurs, it is always in the case of mer
$ who never were consistent professors o.
Il religion; but doubtful characters from the
:, first. Our error, in seasons of trials, IS
e not in praying too much, but in praying
+ too little, or less than usual. And this i:
IT dangerous error, whatever be the caus,
l. or character of our trials. For its direc
0 tendency is to turn "the mighty hand O
d God against US, and thus TO make al
! that is bad in our lot worse. Nothing
o therefore, can be more anwise thar pro
y cess which must gfieVe the Holy Spirit
+, and make God our enemy. Now thi
"a will be the effect of ceasing to play, whe,
re the troubles of life are pressing. Co
is both permits and sends these troubles 70
n the express purpose of bringing us near
s, er to himself, and for increasing the spir
ct and habit of prayer; and, therefore, if W
ne allow our cares to break up our devotion
its al habits, and thus to draw US away froI
a God, we are sure to draw down upo
of ourselves his displeasure, in addition
e. all our other trials. And, when he take
ca up the rod to contend against US, who ca
r tell how long or severely he may emplo
ire it! God does not, indeed, afflict willin,
he ~. nor grieve unnecessarily, the childrt
I'D of men, but he will not be neglected NJ
en- forgotten; he will not allow himself to
deserted with impunity God acts, inv
rI.hlu
o od souls and eternity; and, therefore, unle
= he were to abandon them to desola
HAT eternity, he must multiply or prolong o
TROUBLES, if we allow them to estrange o
:. hearts and habits from the throne of gra,
Nv There is, in fact, no case of trial,
~ which prayer is not an efectual antide
"a against disquietude and corroding anx
80 ty. 1.-THE peace of God can and W
III '9n keep both the heart and mind of the
IA, ,;I who cast all their care upon God, s.
I'D ~. supplication and prayer, with thanksg
re5 ing" Nothing can resist the sweet
A 1uence Of this devotional habit.
:. r. IF we doubt the truth of this, there
- some grand defect in our ideas of pra,
o. itself, or in our manner of praying,
49, reference to cares and vexations. Pr
,a;5 er, under them. must be regulated by SCI
go, 80 tural rules, if we would experience
- benefit of it. Now, one of these rules
Al that it must be a0itb Thanksgiving"
- e therefore, we GO to the throne OF gra
,ras only to deplore our losses. only to un
than som our cares, or only to make kno
- our wants, we have no warrant whate
i > to expect support or peace under them
Il . Our requests must be mingled
i D, thanksgiving" if we would succeed
! are OoeolnhS 49, " ieiP - -