Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-10-02
DO YOU PRAY FOR SINNERS?

1t is clearly the duty Of all Christians to
pray earnestly and constantly for unconverted
souls. 1t is throug h their prayers that sim
ners are made to share in Gods rich grace.
very much question if any one is ever con-
verted except through the instrumentality of
prayer. We would not expect the CONVEX
sion of sinners where the truth is not known
it is just as unreasonable to expect the same
result without earnest pleadings to God in
their behalf God puts great honor upon his
people by this marked feature in his dealings.
He makes them workers with himself, and in
this way he binds more closely together those
| who are saved
By prayer for others, many of the Christian
graces are exercised and strengthened; as
faith, charity, compassion, hope, and others.
And by the discharge of this duty, our Chris
tian character is developed and matured.
When we go to the throne of grace, then,
let US not omit to take with US the case of
those who are going on in the broad road.
They are as we were. We were once just as
worldly and selfish and blind to our highest
interests as they now are The same power
and grace that arrested and changed US can
avail for them. Nothing is impossible with
God. He has tender regard to the wishes
of his people. He will graciously hear those
who cry to him for others.
The reasons why we should cry nightly to
God for them are many and forcible. They
are blinded by Satan, dead in sin, and have
no proper sense of the dangers that impend
over them. We should pity them and enter
tain for them the most compassionate regard.
They do not pray for themselves. They
make no believing approach to God for his
mercy. They may have form of prayer
and may call upon him when in trouble, but
they pray not at all in the proper sense.
We should go to God for them, because he
alone can convert them. 1t is his preroga-
tive to dispense the mercy and grace which
they need. He has expressed fully his favor
able intentions towards them. He will be
inquired of. This is great encouragement to
plead for them.
The conversion of souls was the great end
of Christ's coming into the world, of the work
he performed, of the outpouring of the Spirit
of the institution of the Christian church.
Prayer for sinners is in harmony with all
these glorious and gracious purposes
They have souls of priceless worth. The
time is short. Soon their day of grace will
be gone.
You will soon be where you cannot pray
for them. There is no prayer in heaven. If
through your prayers they are converted, it
will greatly enhance your reward in the other
world.
There are many, very many, who need our
prayers.
In praying for the unconverted, we ought
to make special application for particular in:
dividuals. The Saviour said to Peter, 81
have prayed for hee." Let US copy after
this example. Let us call their names before
God, and beg him to send upon them his con-
verting grace The record of special answers
to prayer for particular persons would fill
many volumes, and they furnish the greatest
encouragement to Gods people to persevere
in prayer even for the worst cases.
Do you, reader, pray for sinners? You
would feel for them and be ready to relieve
them if they were destitute of temporal COM
forts how much more ready should you be
to help when you consider their spiritual
wants? They are living in sin and exposed
to Gods righteous anger. They are going to
hell, and Gods converting grace alone can
save them. He that winneth souls is wise.
He that converteth sinner from the error
of his way shall save soul from death and
shall cover multitude of sins.
Ba~ When Christ is with the Christian, the
means of grace are like flowers in the SUM-