Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1867-05-18
From the Evangelist.
The Praying Wife.
BY REV. THEODORE L. CUYLER.

I..ttE IA
Ihave Just come from the bedside of,a
man whose soul is as thoroughly healthy
and happy as his poor consumptive frame
is wretched. During the last two months
he has given his heart to Jesus, and the
change has been marvellous. Beside his
bed was, in literal truth, his gatardiia,a
angel-an energetic, discreet, godly-nind-
ed wife. 81 am praying for him'' has
been the resolute answer of that noble
woman for several years past, whenever
| have talked with her about her huS-
bands stubborn imperitence. His life
was becoming endangered by strong
drink; but the harder he drank the hard
er she prayed. AT length the answer
came, in slow, wasting sickness that
took him away from tempting associates,
shut him up with his conscience on bed
of pain. and left him to look at his own
life Gin the face" Her loving heart bears
his sickness submissively, for she recog-
nizes in it the medicinal process by which
God is curing his sin-sick soul Brave
hearted noble wife her prayers have
done more than my. preaching for that
mans conversion. He is now preac hing
Christ with sick bed for his pulpit.
never despair of the man who had a
good mother, or W no has a patient pray
ing wife. know well the heavy load of
dependency that lies on true woman's
heart on account of the persistent impen-
itence of that husband who is the larger
half of her own family existence. To all
such, l would say y-never give him up.
When you sit alone at the communion
table, sundered from him "whom your
soul loveth''- plead. for him with your
Saviour, as woman's heart only can
pray. Keep his conversion ever before
you as perseveringly as Cyrus w. Field
kept before his eye the accomplishment
of his ocean telegraph. Not only beseech
God for it, but labor for it yourself Your
prayers will be of no avail if you contra
dict them by an inconsistent, repulsiye
conduct, or frivolous life. / beg of you
do not ask God to lead your husband
to the cross, and then stand yourself in
his way. No man is likely to be won
over to religion by the wife who comes
home from the prayer meeting OF the
communion table, to scold him, to vex
him with an ugly temper, to play the
slattern or the scandal-monger, or to neg
lect her children for the giddy round of
evening amusements. We do not be-
lieve that God ever answers PRAYER that
is contradicted by our oacn conduct 4-
Live, therefore, for your husbands con-
version. Not only pray for him, but
d,aoo him. You cannot drive him to the
sanctuary, or to the prayer-meeting, or
to the saviour. But if, in the name of
Jesus, you fasten the silken hawsers of
affection ohim, and apply the persuasion
of earnest lips and ofa holy, sweet-tem-
pered, consistent life-you may be joy
fully surprised to see how he will go with
you. AS the huge hull of the I" Great Re
public" Launched the other day. seemed
to bid the little steam-tug, 'draw me
end l will 60 along with you," SO has
many husbands resolute will been won
along steadily towards Christ by the gen.
tie persuasions of a sweet, prayerful wo-
mans life.
All the positive efforts you make for
your husbands conversion should be
made wisely. Practice a holy tact. Go
with him on Sunday, to such evangelical
church as he prefers; do not force him to
go your way. No minister is likely to
do him any good, for whom he has rea-
sonable dislike. Watch your opportuni-
ties to reach your husbands heart. Do
not approach him with teasing talk or
with taunts; do not worry him with even
religious conversation when he is not
in mood to receive it. Watch the mo-
wings of his own heart, and the guidings
of Providence and then with fervent
prayer, aoOrk ac5h the Holy Spirit.
One of the most blessed results of ev-
cry great revival is that it brings togeth-
cr at the Lords table those who have al
ways been sundered; they who had been
welded for this world become welded
for eternity. In my own church, last
March, forty husbands and wives sat
down side byioside for the first time at
the sacramental supper on on. Sabbath.
Even now as [ write, note lies beside
me-just received from an intelligent,
stropg-willed man who tells me that he
has given his heart to Jesus. His wife
stood up alone eight months since to con-
fess her Saviour Who can tell whether
the echoes of her prayers may not be
heard in the lines of her husbands touch
ing and manly letter? arn ~
80 "' Al.t
BABlEs.-Some time ago there was a
i L