Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-26
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Not 10 his hurt"
Surely, George Herbert's thought was tina
the atonement was 10 itself guarantee thai
prayer must be heard, that the great CAST
made near the Saviors heart, which let tn,
light into the very depths Of the heart Of
Deity, was a proof that He who sits il
heaven would hear the cry of His people
You misread Calvary IL you think thai
prayer is useless.
Furthermore, il is not necessary, still 1
may strengthen the point, il we add thai
or otOn experience leads US To believe thai
God will answer prayer. | must not speak
Tor you; but | may speak for myself. Il
there be anything know, anything that
am quite assured Of beyond all question, il
Is that praying breath is never spent in vain
1t no other man here can say it, l dare t.
say it, and | know that | can prove it. My
own conversion is the result Of prayer, long
affectionate, earnest, importunate. Parents
prayed for me; God heard their cries, and
here am to preach the gospel. Since then
l have adventured upon some things that
were far beyond my capacity as thought
but | have never failed, because have cast
myself upon the Lord. You know as a
church that have not scrupled to indulge
large ideas of what we might do for God
aud We have accomplished all that we pur.
posed. | have sought Gods aid, and assist.
ance, and help, in all my manifold undertak-
ings, and though cannot tell here the story
of my private life in Gods work, vet if Il
were written it would be standing proof
that there is a God that answers prayer.
lie has heard mig prayers, not now and then,
nor once noe twice, but so many times, that
it has grown into habit with me to spread
my case before God with the absolute GER
tainty that whatsoever | ask of God, lie
will give to me. 1t is not now "Perhaps"
or possibility. know that my Lord an
swers me, and | dare not doubt, it we're in
deed folly if | did. As / am sure that a
certain amount Of leverage will lift weight,
so | know that certain amount Of prayer
will get any blessing from God As the
rain-cloud brings tho showers, as spring scat
ters flowers, so suplication ensures mercies.
In all labor there is profit, but most Of all
IN the work Of intercession | am sure of
his, for | have reaped it. As put trust in
the queens money, and have never failed
yet to buy what l want when produce the
cash, so put trust In Gods promises, and
mean to do SO till find that He shall once
tell me that they are base coin, aud will not
do to trade with In heavens market. But
why should speak? o brothers and sis.
tiers, you all know in your own selves that
God hears prayer; if you do not, then
where is your Christianity where is your
religion You will need to learn what are
the first elements of the truth for all saints,
young or old, set it down as certain that He
doth hear prayer.
Still remember that prayer is always to
be offered in submission to Gods will that
when we say, God heareth prayer, VIC do
not intend by that, that He always gives us
literally what we ask for. We do mean,
however, this, that He gives us what is best
for us; and that if He does not give us the
mercy we ask for in silver, He bestows it
upon us in gold. If He doth not take away
the thorn in the flesh, yet He saith, my
grace is sufficient for thee" and that comes
to the same in the end. Lord Boinpbroke
said to the Countess Of Huntingdon, ~ can.
not understand your Submission to the d.
vine will" "My lord, she said, "that is
matter of no difficulty. IL l were cour-
tier Of some generous king, and he gave me
permission to ask any favor l pleased of
him, should be sure to put it thus, will
your majesty be graciously pleased to grant
me such.and-such favor but at the same
time though L very much desire it, if it
would in any way detract from your mai
csty's judgment it should seem better that L
did not have this favor. | shall be quite
as content to go without it as to receive it,
So you see might earnestly offer petition,
aud yet might submissively leave it in the
kings hands" So with God. We never
offer up prayer without inserting that clause,
either in spirit or in words, Nevertheless,
not as l will, but as Thou wilt not my will
but Thine be done" We can only pray
without an "if'' when We are quite sure that
our will must be Gods will, because Gods
will is fully our will.
Ill. L come to our third point, which
think is full of encouragement to all those
who exercise the hallowed art of prayer
ENCOURAGEMENT To FAITH, II will shew thee
great aud mighty things which thou knowest
not"
Let us just remark that this was original
y spoken to prophet in prison aud, there
ore, it applies in the first place to eoery
eacher and, indeed, as every teacher must
De learner, it has a bearing upon eUery
Garner in divine truth The best way by
which prophet and teacher and learner
IAN know the reserved truths, the higher
md more mysterious truths of God, is by
waiting upon God in prayer.
Use the hammer Of diligence, and let the
inee Of prayer be exercised, too, and there
) not stony doctrine in Revelation which
$ useful for you to understand, which will
lot fly into shivers under the exercise of
'rayer and faith. "Bene Orasse est 6ene
tudniSSe" was n wise sentence of Luther
which has been SO often quoted that we
Iardly venture but to hint at it. ITO have
'rayed well is to have studied WE'LL" You
nay force your way through anything with
he leverage Of prayer. Thoughts and rea.
oning may be like the steel wedges which
nay open way into truth but PRAYER is
he lever, the prise which forces open the
ron chest of sacred mystery that we may
ct the treasure that is hidden therein for
hose who can force their way to reach it.
he kingdom of heaven still suifereth vio-
,nce, and the violent taketh it by force.
axe care that ye work away with the
lightly implement of prayer and nothing
an stand against you.