Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-04-11

Joel 1:14.-'Sanctlly ye la9V' ."ii
solemn assembly, gather the elders ana
all the inhabitants of the land INTO the
house of the Lord your God, ana cry
unto the LORD.
Psalm 95:6.-''O come, let us worship
and bow down: let us kneel before the
Lord our Maker.
"ExoRD1UM. From its earliest his
tory, there has annually been issued
from the council chambers of our good
commonwealth, a proclamation Tor
fasting, humiliation and prayer, to
which our people, to some extent, nave
responded by suspending their various
avocations and assembling in their re-
spective places of worship for religious
service; thus evincing on the part OF
both rulers and people, certain degree
of faith in God as the Father OF all our
mercies, the great source of individual
and national prosperity, and as the
rightful sovereign and judge OF all the
earth, to whom we are accountable as
men, communities, and commonwealth.
And there can be no question, but that
large share of the present prosperity OF
our State, standing as she does, in the
front rank of the sisterhOOd OF States III
regard to education, social virtue, scien-
titic progress and material prosperity, IS
owing to an often expressed recognition
of Divine Providence, in all her affairs,
by the religious portion of her people.
But it is, nevertheless, a fact, and a
matter OF sad regret, that for many
years there has been manifest growing
disregard of the true character and APP
pOintment of the day. Very many OF
our people, for years past, have changed
this day from a "hOly' to ''hOliday,"
from day of fasting to day of
''feasting" and ''field-sports, from as
sembling with the solemn congregation,
to crowding theaters, bathrooms and
concert halls, instead of improving the
| day thus set apart, in accordance with
the spirit and letter OF the proclamation.
| il has been made the occasion of inCreas-
| ed transgressiOn and sin. Nor have the
people of God, or his servants, who min
| lister at his affairs, been wholly without
! blame in this matter for this day has
| too often been improved by them, tor
the discharge of the accumulated bile OF
! the whole year, thus turning the sanctu-
ary into forum, the pulpit into a rOs-
| trum. and the time set apart for humbl-
inc the public mind into penitence used
/ for intensifying the already excited pub
| lie feeling. and throwing fresh fuel on
the blazing fires of social and political
/ life. | would not be understood as put
ting paddock upon the lips Of the min
| istrv, or compelling the pulpit to be 81
( lent upon all great questions, not purely
religious: by no means. On the con
trary. | claim for both the utmost free
dom consistent with the eXigencies OF
the times, and the full exercise of the
spirit and requirements of the gospel OF
Christ. SO we regret, not that great
questions of social and political reform
have been discussed in these fast day as
semblics. but rather the rancOrOus spirit
in which they have been discussed, too
often resulting in a proclamation of the
spirit of the day, and a pervcrsiOn o
the object sought in its appointment.
The truly excellent proclamation O
our worthy Governor cloqucntly urge
us to the great duty Of prayer. for our
selves, fer our respective communities
for our State-in her industrial. cduca
tional, manufacturing and commercial
interests; for our nation and its rulers
for the poor and distressed and fnall,
for the whole world
Such proclamation is worthy tn
Governor of a State, the people Of whicl
acknowledge their dependence upon ant
obligations to the sovereign ruler 0
worlds: and the object sought in thi
discourse is simply to unfold and en-
force the same great duty of PRAYER fo
ourselves. and for all men, feeling assur
ed that nothing in which we can be prop
erlv interested is so important or s.
great necessity to us as prayer. Ar
we impressed with sense OF sin the
we need to pray. Are we interested j
the promotion of education, science an
social virtue, or the political and ma
tcrial interests Of the country then le
us prav for the blessing and guidance O
Him in whom we live, move, ard hav
our being, and from whom cOmeth ever
good and perfect gift.
a religious duty becomes such eithC
from command, example, or necessity
PRAYER becomes a duty from all thes
combined. Jesus, our great law-givel
taught that all men ought always t
pray. and not to faint. The Apostl
Paul instructs us ito be careful fo
nothing, but by prayer and supplicatior
with thanksgiving, to make our want
known unto God" The Apostle Jane
writes, "If any of you lack wisdom le
him ask Of God who givcth to all me
literally and uphraidcth not, and it sha
be given him.
The examples enforcing this duty a,
numerous. Our Saviour lived a life c
, rrovpr for the world which He came t
redeem Abraham, Jacob, solomon
. Daniel and a host of the servants c
/ Al, IL
bv their example, esteeming it gracioy
privilege granted unto them. and leavin
it rs a precious legacy to us.
+ The evidence of the benefits Of pravC
| is also thrpp-fOld, and so conclusive tbs
? it is a matter of surprise that we shout
ever wavpr in the performance Of tn
. duty. l. The promises of God in Al
swer to prayer are richly cncoura "ir,
! Christ taught his disciples saving ''Whc
| thou pravest. enter into thv closet. ar
when thou hast shut the door. pray
e thy Father which is in secret. and III
' Father which SePth in secret shall r
p ward thee onnnlv." And again Tie 81,
| "Aek. and it shall he Given; seek and '
X shall find; knock, and it shall he OnanC
r INTO Won" Ard the Apostle Jara
t writes "Tha pffcctnal. forvort nravcr
V a RIGHTEOUS man availeth much"
I Of tho many remarkable answers
b prayers We mention but = fow; Tacr
J. wrnstlpd with tho angel of the covonar
t and prevailed. solomon prayed for W
a dom, and became the wisost of me
}. Hczpkiah prayed for dolivprancc fro
/ death, and his life was Enlightened f
:. teen years. Elijah prayed and rain W
s stayed for three years in the land
e Samaria. The disciples prayed for t
/ deliverancc of Peter. and his bon
g were loosod the prison doors onene
o and he led ont by an angel Paul a.
e Silas prayed at midnight, amid the thi
e darkness of a Phillipian iail, and t
y prison was shaken as with an cart
1t quake.
$ The history of the Church and Chr
=. tian experience furnish innumerahlc a
n swers to fervent PRAYER, by which
& are encouraged to frequent the thrO
1t of grace daily, for ourselves. and for
ri men.