True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-09-01
pnlnit PRAYER.

Does this subject receive the attention
due 10 its importance I Is sufficient eff
fort madeAo awaken interest in this part
Of public servicel Is it enough, if the
heart of the minister is in tune, and his
prayer gush forth from the depths of de-
vout sincerityi While we wonld recoil
from the idea Of carefully prepared, mem
orized prayers, does il follow that all the
previous thought should be given to the
sermon, while the petitions Of the pulpit
may be the promptings Of more sponta-
neousness? If an earnes. preacher would
leave his sermon to be entirely dependent
on the fertility and fervency Of the hour,
have not the people, in waving liturgy
made him responsible for conducting their
devoLions as well as he cant Is it not an
object worthy of effort, to infuse into them
variety, and stimulate thinking The
uterance of generalitios is not very i'm
pressive, and when the Divine blessing is
asked on "all for whom it is our duty to
pray" it is surely not the best method ol
obeying the apostles exhortation, thai
"prayers be made for all men,"
In the general departments ofprayer-
alienation, confession, petion, thanksgiv
ing-were it not better to dwell long
enough ON one of these, to make a clear
strong impression. than to pass briefly
over them all! Will not more vividnes!
and power be thus impaired 10 the diff
ferent aspects Of devotional truth? Ant
when, leaving himself and his few fellow
worshipers, the minister looks out on thu
world Of humanity, he knows that the re
alization of facts must precede sensibility
in regard to them, and that many of hi
hearers live in narrow spheres. And why
not take this method Of making il a living
recollection, that their habitual privilege:
are lights in the darkness of human his
tory; that to haye civil liberty, fret
Bible, Sabbath, living ministry, arr
not at all matters of course in this world
Why not select, time after time, som'
class Of suffering humanity, aud holding
up their condition, positive and negative
before the eye Of the people, awaken 70
them real interest, more than momen
Iary prayer that God will help them 3
The poor of large cities, breathing tn,
atmosphere of all evil the poor of rula
districts, in their Sunday isolations; tn
sailor, with the lies so severed that he'll
to make manhood; the victims of civl
oppression; the souls crushed unde
spiritual despotism; the debased devotee
of idolalry! Would not the habit @
touching skillfully the spring, stimulat
the pulse Of christian, benevolence maxim
itbeat more evenly, ,heathfully,vigorousIy
Religion, its enemies themselve
} confess, is in its moral code, holy, jus
and good. In its doctrine il is dignife
and glorious; in its tendency it is pur
and peaceful, gentle. and easy to entrea
ed; full OF mercy and good fruits, witbou
partiality, and without hypocrisy. Th
celebrated Montesquieu remarks: "Th
christian religion, which ordains that me
should love each other, would, withou
doubt, have every nation blest with th
best political and civil laws; becaus
these, next to religion, are the creates
good that men can give and receive.-,
Spirit Of Laws, Lond edit, vol. l, p. u