Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1862-03-08


some persons never think Of attending
the prayer meeting they have no love for
q and no compunctions for its neglect.
Others try 10 sooth their consciences by
frivolous excuses, xhich csaBot deceive
their brethren, and win certainty never de-
ceive God. A writer, in Zioa's AdrOcate,
Ailndes 10 some such excuses
Some have assigned reasons which il vii
DO no hagm to communicate. Two Of the
sisters suid they did not know why Il was,
but they had noticed thar every time they
had been to prayer meeting lately, they had
taken cold, and there must be dampness in
the room, or o draft Of air, or someihing
In going from the room into tbs atmosphere
that was unhealty. And still have uotic-
ed that these persons 60 out TO other pla-
ees very damp evenings, attend concerts
and lectures IN most crowded snd uncom.
fnstabIe rooms, and 60 out into the atmos.
phere afterwards without harm They
take cold nowhere else but al the prayer
meeting. Ths atmosphere Of no other place
at no other time, affects them bnt when
they go to the prayer meeting they always
get cold. Al least they say it has been so
Iafslg.--sery singular, is it not Z It was
not SO formerly. They used 10 60, in time
oi the revival, to the same room regularly,
and attend every meeting, aud did not take
cold. But every time they go to the pray
CT meeting lately II Injuries shem amazingly.
Two Of the brethren gave this reason !:
They said IL Was important that prayer
meetings should be sustained for they were
the life Of the church bat still if was inn
l. e. A.. Tfsee~
they said, occupied all their time, and it
seemed "a il people called more, evenings
than at any other time. They hoped the
church would not think that they had lost
fheir interest in prayermeetings they al
ways thought Of such meetings when the
evening for them came it was their busi.
ness alone that kept them away And 50,
undoubtedly, il seemed to them, but the
case was not quite SO clear TO others.
They were both Of them ardent politicians,
snd II was noticed that they both found
time, or took time to go TO every caucus,
every political meeting aud torch-ligbt pre-
eession. One Of them was ueYer known
since be became voteT to be absent from
any such meeting Of bis party held in the
town, and the other generally attended |
Business did not interfere with these things,
bat somehow il slwsys gets in the way
when the church holds its prayermeetings |
That, too. is singular, isn't IL
There is one man who lives ia the village, |
near where the prayer meetings are held |
One day said 10 him ''Well, brother 2 :, |
] have not seen you ut our prayer meetings |
iately.n '0h. no. said he, 4 do not go out
much evenings. My health Is very poor,
and the doctor says must be very careful |
shout che evening air. Now il so happen |
ed. that bad seen that man out nearly every |
evening for q fortnight, sometimes in the /
store and sometimes in other places, having
mot much regard to the weather or the late |
ness OF the hour when be retarue home. |
But still his physician had admonished him |
to be cautions about the evening air, aud |
so he avoided The prayer meeting. The
eyessng air does not seem to hurt him when |
he goes elsewhere. and there is great rea. |
scn 10 be thankful for thai, but somehow |
be fears it woald. IL he should go where the |
prayer meetings are held. And prevention
. better than cure Jon know. aud the man |
wants 20 be careful Life Is not 10 be tri- |
He'd WITH especially snch asKfe. That man
would be missed, greatly missed in some
places. i be should be taken away. Tue
we should not miss him mnch in the prayer
mee1ing, no mora if he were dead
than II be Eere living, bat stir
he would be missed elsewhere and be musl
take care Of bis health. Well, / have only
just begun 10 answer the question with
wklieh ! commenced, but letters must be
bfsei. according toegreemcns, you win have
other reasons hereafter.