Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-04-02
Following Up our Prayers.

We are accustomed to pray for the Holy
Ghost. No cry goes up into the divine car
more frequently Listen to the ministers
morning invocation. 1t is largely for the
presence and aid of the Spirit Go into
the social meeting. II is still the common
| yearning Draw near to us-help US
| lead us--fll US with the Divine Spirit. No
prayer is more suitable than this for the
Holy Spirit Great is the encouragement
Of such prayer. If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your
children; how much more shall your
Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit TO
them that ask him 2' But when we offer
| this prayer that the Holy Ghost may rest
upon Us, and enter into us, and Gil us, and
guide US, what does the act imply2 Man.
ifestly an obligation to fall into line VITA
the methods of the Holy Ghost, aud adjust
cur lives 10 his ways and wishes, to do all
We can to make our hearts fit places for the
Spirits indwelIing Else the prayer is
an empty form; if indeed it be not an
open mockery. Think of it, a very dear
and very distinguished friend says to you
"On any day you may appoint [ will visit
you" You fix the day. The coming is
settled. What then do you do Straight
way set your house in order with reference
to this expected visit The parlor is neat
ly arranged The guest-cbamber is care
| fully aired and touched up. The pantry Is
| freshly stocked, the servants receive special
instructions, any little repairs which may
d kn AaA f,Ia bi nb
are called for are brought in, and so far as
possible the whole economy Of the home is
turned in the direction Of the comfort and
pleasure of this anticipated visitor Snail
this blessed Divine One, who waits and
wants to come 10 Us, and whom we our
selves have invited to come to US, aud take
up his abode in US, be treated with any less
consideration Shall not the dust of world
| illness be swept out, and all the chambers
of the soul be cleansed and set in order
when the Spirit is asked to come to US
My brother, it is a very great and solemn
thing to pray for the Holy Spirit; it will
also be an utterly vain thing, unless along
with the prayer an attempt, sincere and
earnest, is made to accommodate the heart
to the habits and desires of the Spirit, to
all conditions, in fine, of the Spirits res
idence with US.
We are accustomed to pray for the con-
version OF sinners. Step into any one Of
the prayer-spheres already indicated, where
the petition is for the Holy Ghost, and this
supplication also saiutes the ear That
sinners may be converted unto thee" The
best sermons of the best preachers keep
this end steadily in view-the conversion
Of sinners. a church is at its lowest ebb
when it no longer cares whether sinners are
saved or not. So far, again, so good
Prayer is the mightiest argument any man
can use to persuade sinners to come to
Christ. The effectual feryent prayer Of
a righteous man ayaileth much" OF wrest.
| ling, agonizing entreaty that God would
turn the hearts of men unto himself, there
is not an excess but a deficiency. But
ought not this act Of prayer, according to
opportunity, and up to the full measure Of
our ability, to be supplemented with per-
sonal activity When God gives me such
sense Of the sinfulness OF sin, such a
sense Of the value Of the soul, that | take
some one individual aud bear him, in the
arms Of prayer, up to the throne Of grace,
does he not in the very fact say TO me,
" You are my messenger to speak 10 that
man and win him to righteousness ?" OF
each man who prays but does not work may
not it be said This ought he to have
done aud not to have left the other undoue2"
Your child is sick, very sick you pray for
him; is that all ? You send your boy away
to college, you pray for him, that he may
well use his privileges, and not to be over
come Of evil ; do you rest there? A valued
friend is drifting down into peril which you
see, but he does not You pray for him,
but do you speak no word of entreaty, of
counsel, Of warning, in addition to this
prayer3 And shall we take those great and
solemn words, That sinners may be cen.
yerted unto thee" and turn them into cry
for Gods ear, and then walk about among
these sinners day by day, without once ex-
tending our hands to them or opening our
! lips to say, Come
1t is the same with that all comprehen-
siye petition, Thy kingdom come" 1t is
of no use for men to pray for the kingdom
to come while they themselves do nothing
to check ayarice and pride and lust and
dishonesty aud profanity and intemperance
and ungodliness in general, which in their
own hearts and others are prime hndrances
to this coming. 1t is of no use for men to
pray for the coming of the kingdom, while
they themselves do nothing to give the
King new enforcement, nothing to usher
in truth and exalt love and establish justice
and promote purity. When a man prays
in sincere earnestness for the kingdom OF
our Lord to come, he says, have money,
how may that help it? have vote, how
may that help III 1 have personal inhu-
ence, how may that help it2 have a
business, how may that be turned to account
ia the direction Of my prayerq have
bodily energies, have mental faculties, |
have capacities of sympathy, how may all
these be consecrated to the same blessed
| end %