The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-08-13
NUMBER 50.
PRAYING FOR A SIGN.
From the Newark n. J.l Courier.

From the Newark NIL Courier.
A well known resident of this city is
about issuing in tract form a most re-
markable document. The idea is that a
day shall be set apart by Christians at
every denomination when PRAYER shall
be offered that ct certain day and hour
the Lord will set sign in the heavens
whereby infideIs may know that the
bible is the word of God. The tracts
arc TO find their way all over the coun-
try, and will, probably, excite "a consid-
cradle degree of public attention. They
have, not yet been issued, but the report
ers Of the Courier have been enabled TO
secure the manuscript of the document,
and for the first time, the matter is given
to the reading public. The document is
as follows:
|And Elijah came unto all the people,
and said How long halt We between
two opinions: IF the Lord be God, fol-
low him but If isaal, then follow him"
Again, we ask, who will be our Elijah
Who among the thousands of Gods
professed ministers will dare to stand
forth and say to ihfidelity: Thus far
shalt thou go, and no further" Who
win dare to to throw himself into the
stream, and check the like that is even
new carrying thousands, aye, millions,
of the brightest and best OF our fellow
beings down TO eternal IniseryI Surely
there must be some one who has suffi-
Client faith in Gods promises to ask for
some sign whereby ali shall know that
He is the true God. That a trial like
that instituted by Elijah would convince
the world to-day, we do not for one
moment believe. But we do believe
that if the clergy everywhere, Ga all de-
nominations, were to pray TO God that
at stated time (Say on next Christmas
eve) a sign might be set In the heavens
above-a sign Intelligent to all, to con-
tinue forever-that God would grant
the prayer, we cannot doubt, for has He
not said: "If we shall ask anything in
my name / will do it?" Wherefore, we
have only to ask and we shall receive.
(Here is inserted the 18th chapter of lst
Now, suppose that all the Christian de-
nominations were TO instruct their
churches TO pray that sign might be
given as abOve-how swift the t1d-
ings would fly to the uttermost parts of
the earth in this age of steam and cleo
tricity. Millions upon millions of voices
would join III petitioning the throne of
grace. Week after week rolls round /;
Christmas day draws near-a day dear
to all believers-'tis the birthday of
Christ Day after day rolls On-'tis
NnFISlindS eve SLOWLY 6lAhS Tic sun 70
rest. The stars peep forth one by one,
and look down upon millions of upturn-
ed, silent, prayerful faces. All! what a
solemn hour! yet what beautiful sight
IA world in prayeri Not cloud can
be seen-nothing but the vast, blue ex-
pansc of heaven, gemmcd with myra-
mids of wandering, starry worlds. An
is beautiful, silent, serene. The hour is
at hand. All what suspense, what a
feeling of solemn awe steals over all.
Suddenly from the very zenith bursts
forth flood of golden light. Soon the
air is filled with angels shouting: "Be-
hold, the hour has come; ye shall know
that Christ is the Lord serve ye him,
for He hath set his sign in the Heavens
Behold, behold" The sign appears. 1t
is Ineligible to all, and with one ac-
cord feeling world Shouts: "Giory,
glory to God in the highest2 This is
Christ our Lord! We worship Him,
the only true Godi Glory, hallelujah T.
Where is our Elijah? Who is it that
will show to the skeptical world that
Gods promises Qn the written world
are true? For hath lie not said: ASK,
and We shall receive; seek, and We shall
find knock, and it shall be opened I'M
to YOUR