St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-05-05
Do You Pray ?


ask whether you pray necause dii-
lgence IN prayer Is the secret Oh eminent
holiness.
Without controversy there Is "a vast
difference among true Christians. lhere
foremost ana the hihhtrihost III the
army OF Cod.
heN are All HShtinS 'he Sahit S"ou
tight but how much more Warranty
some fight than Others. They are all
doing the Lords work but how much
more some do than others. they are
all light IN the Lord but how much
more brightly some SHINE Than others
ihe$ are all running Tue same race
but now mlnch ias,er some get Oh tha',
o'heiS' htH All rove the S''iie L"i"
ana saviour; bnt now nidch more some
love nm than others. ask any true
Christian whether tins Is not the case.
Are not these things so
There are some OF the Lords people
who seem never able to get on from the
time of their conversion. They are
born again, but they remain babes all
their lives. lou hear from them the
same old experience. You remark III
them the same want of spiritual appe-
thing beyond their own little circle.
which you remarked ten yrals ago.
They are pilgrims. indeed, but pilgrims
like the Glbeonltes of old their bread
Is always dry and m"uldy, Their shoes
always old, and their garments always
rent ana torn say TINS win sorrow
ana GlltI "ut ask any real 'hilS'iih'
Is IL not true
mere are otherS Oh the i'"ru people
WI" seem To he always advancing.
iheN grow IKE the grass after ram
they increase Ike Israel ~ Egypt they
press on Ike 'ride"i' thou%h some
times FAINT, YET always pursuing lhtN
are ever adding grace to grace, and
faith to faith, and strength to strength.
Every time you meet them their hearts
seem larger apd their spiritual stature
taller ana stronger. Every Year they
appear I" see more anu kho" more
ana heileNr more. ana teci more III thelr
feIl%l"h. lhtN not only nave good
works I" prove the reality OF their falth,
hut they are Jealous OF them. lheN
not only ii" Well but they aie M
Nealieu III "eii-hoilS. lheH attchipt
great things, ana theI do great things.
When they tan they try again, and
when they fall they are soon up AGAIN.
And all tins time they think themselves
poor, unpr"fltahle servants. and fancy
they do nothing at all. These are
VINO make religion lovely AMI beautiful
III the eyes OF all. They wreSt praise
even from the unconvcrted. and win
golden Opinions even fiom the selfish
men of the world. 1t does one good to
see. To he with, and to hear them.
When You meet them, y"u could be
lievr that, like Moses. they had just
come ont from the presence of God.
When you part with them you feel
warmed 10y their company, as If your
soul had been near Il fire. | know such
people are rare. | only ask. Is it not
so!
Now how can we account for the diff
ference which | have Just described 3?
What is the reason that some believers
are so much brighter and hOlier than
others ? | believe the difference. in
nineteen cases out of twenty, arises
from different habits about private
prayer. | believe that those who are
not emlnently holy pray little, and
those who are eminentlN holy pray
much.
dare say this opinion will startle
some readers. | nave little doubt that
many look on eminent holiness as Il
kind of special gift, which none but Il
few must pretend to aim at. They adj
mire it at distance in books. They
think it beautiful when they see an ex-
ample near themselves. But as to its
being IL thing within the reach of any
but ii very few, such a notion lever
seems 10 enter their minds. In short,
they consider 1t il kind of monopoly
granted to few favored believers, bat
certainly not to all.
Now | believe that this is II most
dangerous mistake. | believe that
spiritual as well as natural greatness
depends i'll high degree on the faith
full Use of means within everybody's
reach. or course do not say We have
IA right to expect II miraculous grant of
intellectual gifts; but this | d" say,
that when man is once converted to
God, his progress i'll holiness will lie
much III accordance with his own dill
gence III the use OF Gods appointed
means. And assert confidently that