National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-09-30

cE On UuH-SVAho Apk nnu
ForefbIe Illustrations OF Its En.
cacy-Invocations That Are Not
Always the Best - Quaint
Ideas OF the Eminent
Revtvalfst.
TIoEAL REPUBLICAN, appeared Q sketch Of the
life Of the Rev. e. L. Hastings, OF Boston, the ed
itor Of the Christicn and o prominent evangelist,
who was for short time engaged with Messrs.
Moody and Sankey In their great work In Eng.
land.
The reverend gentleman arrived in this city
yesterday, and was engaged at the MONDAY and 8
o'clock prayer-meetings Of the Young Mems
Christian Association. In the evening he preached
at DIR. Rankin's Congregational church. DR..
Hastings is q most eloquent man-one who car
ries everything before him in his torrent of elo-
quence. The subject Of his address last evening
was prayer.
THE TEXT.
He read, before speaking, the verses from chap
ter vi of the Epistle to the EphesIans:
"And take the helmet OF salvation and the sword
of the spirit, which Is the Word of God:
"Praying always with all prayer and supplica-
ton in the SPIRIT and watching thereunto with
all perseverance and supplication for all saints:
"And for me that utterance may be given unto
me, that may open my mouth boldly to make
known the mystery Of the Gospel,
/" For which am am bassador in bonds; that
therein may speak boldly as ought to speak"
THE SERMON.
Pray always, said the speaker. The apostle
added this to the complete equipment of Chris
plate Of rig 6teousnsss the helmet Of faith; when
all three had been donned, there was no victory
unless one added to II, praying always with all
prayer and supplication, and watching thereunto
With all perseverance and supplication for all
saints"
There were many people whose minds were
somewhat exercised regarding prayer. Many
thought 1t a duty. So long they thought 1t q
duty, they gave painful evidence that they have
not known the work OF prayer.
A man thong ht 1t duty to eat, but when one
sat down to q meal hungry and faint he did not
think of the duty Of eating then: When am
talked OF the duty Of eating, people thought him
q dyspeptte.
A man who talked ofthe duty of prayer, he
said, had never known the wealth OF blessings
God had placed within his reach.
Yet twas duty to pray. 1t was a duty to
come into the presence OF the King and when
he invited, encouraged, commanded them to come,
they could not stay away.
alt shall come to pass that whosoever shall
call upon the name Of the Lord, shall De sayed''
The speaker recited other quotations from the
Bible of the same character.
Such he said, were few Of the May words
from the Scriptures which invited, which en-
couraged and commanded them to pray.
There were, however, certain Limitations and
certain conditions upon which their prayers were
circumscribed. They were not Limitations OF
DIVINE BLESSINGS,
for the Lord was able to do an abundance, far
exceeding their understanding; but every prayer
should bear with 1t the words Of our Saviour in
the garden, "Nevertheless, thy WILL aud not
mine, be DONE" 1t was the Will Of God that they
should seek and find forgiveness OF sins. On the
there were many things they thought they needed
which God thought they did not need. Their
Saviour said, ask what ye will and # shall be
Sometimes people forgot If he asked what he
willed, he would ask for wealth and pleasure. He
would not ask this II he abIded in Christ mot If
his soul was nodded by Gods spirit. They should
remember that 1t was said how hardly he that
had riches should enter the kingdom of Heaven.
And SO they must base their petitions on the
promise Of Gods word. The Saviour said that II
they believed they should receive all things they
asked for He should have then wealth and
believed things they never had, and that never
came to pass To them believing was o certain
should 20 to the railway station, and, seeing an
engine there, should by some means raise the
wheels six inches above the track, and then say
to the engineer, "Put on steam and go ahead"
he might put on steam, but he wouldn't 60 ahead.
There would be nothing underneath. So man
might
ASK AND ASK
and not receive, because he had nothing to base
his strength upon. The saving faith was faith
in the things that did save-a faith in Christ that
asked for truth and light.
had promised, and asked many things that he
had never said he would give. Many prayers
were not the expression of the true feelings OF the
supplicant. They were prone TO fall into the
form Of written or extempore prayers. Hence so
many long prayers. The man who prayed fifteen
minutes by the clock did not use his own prayer;
IL was bis old grandfather's, doubtIessly q good
old man: part OF It was bis fathers prayer; few
expressions he had heard HIS minister use, and,
perhaps, had taken some from the deacon's words
or those OF some other good man. He gathered 1t
all up until 1t had become a routine prayer.
Once The words when uttered by the grandfather
the flavor of true devotion about them huE
it had all evaporsted long ago.
II they asked God for things they needed at the
time, and for things that others needed, things
that they absolutely needed, they would be little
troubled with long prayers, and yet their words
would be acceptable before the Lord.
Again, there was no morning, no day so busy
but they could find access to the throne Of grace
Many men walked through the corridors Of the
public buildings seeking an interview with
SOME HIGH OFFICIAL,
and found day after day posted On the door, "No
time for strangers" and soon It was too late TO
accomplish any thing, but they could come to the
Lord continually. People would hear listlessly
without opening their ears but his ears were al
ways open. No matter whether 1t was the orphan
child Sleeping under some stairway; no matter If
lost one, whose only offering was tears-tears
flowing at his feet-he would listen.
The speaker said that there was once Judge,
was not quite extinct, who feared not God and
cared not for man. To this judge had come o
widow, whom some Pharisee had wronged, and
had said to her. "Go away; cannot attend to
you to-day" She had gone away, but had re-
of mine sdTersaryw Again she had gone away
and again returned When she had talked Of
the fear of God he had not cared; when she had
not cared; but when he had seen her face again
and again coming before him, and pleading for
justice, he had said ttat he might as we'll settle
her case, SIS be would never have peace unless he
did. People had wondered that the poor widow,
who bad no lawyer, no money TO bride the judge,
ing at it. If the unjust Judge, who feared neither
God nor man, would render Justice to
THE POOR WIDOW,
not because OF tho justice of her cause, but
through Importantly; if pleading would bring
Should It not wiring the heart Of Godf T The
speaker related other parallels to the same effect.
It was Just as much duty to receive as to ask.
behind him he did not get It. Many people
asked God for things which they never thought
related the story Of little girl who, when dur.
ing drouth there was day set aside for prayer
and fasting, had come to church with q big um-
she brought 1t, she had said that she thought It
was sOing 20 rain, and before the meeting was
over the rain had come down, and the minister
had chance Of going home under the little
girls umbrella. II man went to borrow milk.
and carried vessel to receive 1t, and said when
would not get any, he probably would not get 1t,
II they should 90 TO their Father with confidence
they would hnd many blessings they failed to re-
ceive now. There was q difference between the
beggar who snesked into the house and asked for
bread and the boy who bounded into his fathers
arms and said that he wanted this or that. The
one asked with the spirit Of the beggar the other
with that of child.
The speaker related the story of old Scotch
minister, who had surprised his younger compsn-
ion by praying for a front seat, as he was DEAF
and asking for q place to stop, and that God
should provide him with a pair Of shoes, as his
toes were out-stating that Il was no credit to
one of his children that he be that way. The
young man had asked If he did not think he was
little irreverent. "Ah," the old man had re-
piled, "he is my Father and be is well acquainted
with me, and with him, and take great Iiber-
ties with him." That was
THE CONFIDENCE CT CHILD
When the two arrived st the meeting the old
man leaned AGAINST the post with his hand to his
ear, trying to catch the words, when one had
beckoned to him and MADE room for him In front.
That was provided for. When the meeting was
concluded q lady had asked If he had q place to
stay and invited him to come to her house, and,
noticing the condition Of his feet, had given him
pair Of shoes: and in this way his humble prayer
had been answered.
They had idea OF beautiful and aDDrODriate