Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-12-11
No Giving.Up In Prayer.
BY REv. THEODORE L. CUTLER.

Our Saviour made but one tour into the
picturesque region about Tyre and Sidon,
and there is only one incident of that tour
which is recorded. But that single occur
renee was enough to reward him for his
journey; the narrative of it is one of the
sweetest and most suggestive morsels of
Bible-history.
The woman in those coasts of Canaan
who came to Jesus in behalf of her suffering
daughter understood tue practice of prayer,
whether she had ever thought much of its
theory or not She was submissive and vet
she was mportunate. She was very lowly
in heart and perfectly willing to accept the
"crumbs from the table of love but she
would not give up what she came for. That
daughter was on her heart as a tremendous
burden, and she determined to so lay it on
the heart of Jesus that he would bestow the
gift of healing. The Master tested her per-
severance sharply, He kept her at arms
length to try the strength of her faith. She
carried her point, and won blessing that
has taught millions of others neuer 10 giUe
up asking for what we have right to ask
go thy way" said Jesus to this persistent
pleader; "great is thy faith; be it unto
thee even as thou wilt" So the Lord granted
to great faith what he might have denied
TO feeble faith.
Here is lesson for his followers now, at
this season OF the year when special prayers
are multiplied. The lesson is that in spite
OF seeming discouragements we are never to
grow faint in praying. An honest persever-
ing faith-a faith that works for the very
object that it is praying fora faith that
holds on in spite of rebuifs, is the faith that
conquers. For genuine faith creates such a
condition of things that it becomes wise for
God to grant what might otherwise be
denied.
There are many things ordered for us by
our Heavenly Father TO which we ought to
submit. We ought TO submit without a
murmur to his chastisements and bereave-
ments. But there are certain other thugs
placed in our way that we ought to wreste
with. If a temptation assails us, we are
never to submit to it. If pile of difficult
ties blocks up our path of duty, it is no time
TO talk about submission; then is the time
for stout faith to "remove the mountain
or else to scale it with leap
To a state of things which ought to be
bettered, and which can be bettered, no
Christian has a moral right to sit down
in silent submission. A parent whose
children are yet unconverted has no busi-
ness to be submissive to such an affliction.
Neither has pastor or church any right
TO become reconcled to the terrible fact
that the gospel has become powerless, and
no souls are turned from death unto life.
That Canaanitsh mother would have sinned
if she had gone home submissive under dis
couragement when Jesus seemed to be deny
ing her reasonable request. And we sin
grievously, my brethren, when we fold our
hands and close our lips in the face of spir
itual evils that it is in the power of God to
remove.
God is supreme and glorious Sovereign
up on his great white throne. We are re-
sponsible free agents down here on his foot
stool. As a sovereign he has commanded
us to pray-to continue in prayer to pray
without ceasing. He reserves to himself the
right to grant or to refuse the specific thing
We pray for. IL is our right to pray, and it
is Gods right to bestow just such answers
as his all-wise love may deem to be for the
best. We would define faith to be that
childlike temper of uhe soul which submits
implicitly TO everything which God orders,
but never submits to uhat God can better.
Ii we give up to discouragements when we
ought to battle against them-or if we sub
nit to the absence of spiritual blessings
u
ling for them, then are we wretched clods
who deserve to suffer the worst that can be-
fall us.
The Bible fairly blazes with the record of
triumphs won by prayer. 1t was while that
prayer-band in the "upper-room at Jeru-
salem were pleading with the Mediator that
the baptism of heavenly fire descended
Peters friends could not consent TO give
him up to bloody death without one more
effort at the mercy-seat. They made it
and he walked right into their prayer-meet
ing living witness to the glorious truth
that God honors persevering faith. Into all
our prayer-meetings this winter he will en-
ter, bearing just as convincing testimony il
we only remember that our God loves to be
pleaded with, and loves to answer true
prayer. A loving father sits at the upper
end OF the telephone if we do our duty al
this end, the response will soon come back
"Be it unto you even as you wish.'