Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-12-02
PRAYER

'H'"' FIX A Il NJ -5sl raHl -
"Prayeer is tho creatures strength,
! his yery breath and being" prayer
is the slender nerve that moveth the
muscle Of omnipo,ence.' Then pray
weak child of Immortality; bend the
knee and bow low in the dust of humili.
ty before thy God. cansti thou with
! hold from the Parent Of thy blessings
His required Offering? canst thou pur-
sue thy course to "the lowest deeps .
withou. sending one wailing cry to Him
who stands at the gate Of mercy! Be-
stir thyself for the gulf opens at thy
feet, and the car of destruction rumbles
in the distance: peradveuture ho will
| graciously incline His ear and grant
thee full doliyerance, and thou wilt be
received into the ark Of safety. 5,,s
Weeping mourners, bending even to
the grave where the dear ones are laid |;
look up in prayer. Takethe magic tel
cscope, and with the eye Of faith pierce
through the vel! that separates the NOR
tai from Immortality. See thy smiter
and plead thy cause with Him; kneel-
ing at his mercy seat, learn'sweet resig-
nation and peace in yielding to His holy
will. He smites to heal, and in mercy
takes away thine idols, ,ethatthou mayest
make him thy friend and con6dant, and
pour forth with penitence the story of
THY shortcomings. Talk to him as with
a friend, for he has commanded that
Thou shouldst ask him for his blessings; /;
and thank him for his loving kindnesses.
If in pursuing the straightpath of duty,
thou art separated fromthy friends, and
Thy frail bark is launched on the rough
ocean of life; the raging pillows chafe
in their bounds. o'a Then betake thyself
TO prayer; pour forth thy soul in earn
est prayer, and thou wilt 6nda calm, q
holy retreat which the world can neither
,)giiye or take away. Say iaosFthou art
alone when there is dear friend whose
ear is ever open to your call.
Fear not the dangers that assail, the
persecuted one; tremble not, for las
long as thou prayest thou art strong;
and like Luther the ilustrious reform
er, thou mayest stand alone undauuted
before thy foes. Sceptics do you ask
the secret Of his cslmness at the Diet
of Worms, where the friends of Popery
were assembled in q proud galaxy, ar
rayed in all the pomp of power against
himl See him at his prayers, hear him
implore the Captain of his salvation for
assistance, and feel if thou caust the
full assurance he has that his prayer
will be answered, then the promise,
"Lo I am with you always, even to the
end Of tho world" Truly the reforma.
ton was Graded in prayer; and the sci
ences baptized by its sweet influences.
After man has advanced high up The
hill Of knowledge, his SOULS drinking
deep the mysteries that lie traced with
tbs finger Of omnipotence onthe "book
of na,ure;" he sees that he is but an
atom, and in the spirit Of humility aud
prayer he exclaims, Lord what is man
that thou art mindful of him. 'or theson
Of man that thou visitest him ?"
o.! prayer, thou art strangely myste.
rious and always beautiful, yet with
what pangs aud groans is thy sweet in-
cense often waited to the throne of On
impotence. Now coming pure from the
lips of childhood, as it strives with rev.
erential awe to repeat its nightly orri.
sons. Just opening into life the gem
of immortality seeks communion with
lis heavenly Parent, and plead for pro-
lection. Then from the lips of youth
as the gay world lies spread out in all
its glorious colors.. Before stands the
temple of ambition crowned with lau.
rels that wave and beckon him to as.
cend and place them on his brow; but
he bows down in prayer, and exclaims,
Lord keep mo from temptation, aud
deliver me from evil, for thine is the
power and glory" Then prayer falls
sweeiy from the lips of the old soldier
Of the cross, whose life has been spent
in studying tie book of revelation, and
pointing men TO the Lamb of God, that
take,h away the sins of the world. The
days Of the years of his pilgrimage are
three score and ten. The lamp of life
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