St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-06-14


He knoweth the way that l take
when he hath tried me, | shall come
forth as gold. Job %: 10.
How to Insure Live Prayer Meeting.
Go! You will count one. Just as
surely on a stormy evening as any
other. No other can do more. AS faI
as your personal presence is concerned
YOU will thus reach the limit of respOn-
sibility. The seat waiting for you will
be filed, and the blessing of the Master
silently invoked. Seats are made sacred
by occupation.
Plan to 90. Let the claim of the
prayer meeting be one of the constant
items on your weekly programme. Let
regular attendance be made a matter OF
principle. Deem its fixed hour one OF
engagement with the Master. Let moth
ing hinder you from keeping it, save
what a quickened conscience and the
Master himself will justify. Keep it
constantly in thought and adjust bust
ness and pleasure to suit the hour. BE
one of the reliable ones who consult the
Masters will rather than the sky or
almanac. One to be depended upon is
better than a score whose presence is a
matter of great uncertainty. Little life
and importation comes from those whose
attendance is rare an angels visits.
Go with a warm heart, full of enlisted
sympathies and ardent longings of the
communion of the saints. Under such
high leadership be instinctively drawn
to the place. Make the weekly going
a pleasure. Deem its hour a sweet one,
fragrant with holy memories, and en-
circled with heavenly promises. With
the fires of love bursting into flame on
the souls altar, others shall feel the
growing warmth and rejoice in a glad
summer time of blessing. Warmth shall
beget warmth till the lingering iciness
of wintry natures melts away and
hearts, flowing into one, beat in unison
with the heart of God.
Go from the Sinai of your closet with
your face aglOw from communion with
the Holy One. Then your heart cannot
help burning within you in this hour OF
fraternal communion, and the very room
shall grow radiant with the light of
your presence. Its atmosphere shall be
filed with inspiration, heart shall come
near to heart, and voices be attuned to
sweetest harmOnies. Beforehand in
vokiug blessing on this meeting to-
gether, going in full expectancy of
refreshing, the soul will be in the best
possible condition to receive. Daily
cares and burdens will weigh less heavi-
ly, and hope will make sunshine.
Go to do something. Assume re-
sponsibility to interest and edify. Ban
ish forever the idea you have no ability,
and can only help by your presence.
Communion implies interchange of
thought and feeling. Mere contiguity
of presence hardly realizes the idea.
Some kind of expression is necessary.
Obligation to make the meeting inspirit-
ing and helpful is mutual. Every one
must not only be in his place, but show
himself alive with interest and do his
part. A willing heart will find its sphere
and method. If different from others,
no matter. Burning Goals have kindling
fervOr. A song, a prayer, a choice bit
of personal experience, passage of
Gods word, a suggestive and lnstruc-
tive comment, brief but full of the
souls quickened life, will find its fitting
place. When "every one" going to the
place of prayer "hath psalm, hath a
doctrine, hath tongue, hath revela-
ton, hath an Interpretation" there will
be no occasion for killing time with
long and painful pauses.
Go early and do early. Come to time.
Allow no feeling of depression to enter
any heart at the outset because of your
tardiness. Hardness is harmful next to
absence. Let there be no wishing nor
waiting for you. Promptly in your
place, be ready to seize the first oppor-
tunity to let your light shine for the
illumination of the many. Your prayer,
or word, spontaneously springing from
a full soul, and kindling with the in
terest of enthusiasm, will not fail to be
helpful. 1t will touch secret springs in
other hearts to a glad response. No
discOrd from score of voices starting
off in concert. Rather fulness of prom
Use from such signs of life. When clouds
in every quarter of the sky are begin
ming to break in showers, abundant will
be the refreshing. Generous and jubi-
liant will be the flow of the meeting.
The hour will only be too short. The
benediction will mark tightening of
the weight of daily cares, a tOning up
of the soul with new courage for COM
iuS udIIieS, anu pIoSIosS W SWeeIcl
and happier fellowship.
So the meeting cannot help being a
good one. And afterwards few min
utes of Misunderstanding will be easy. Its
warm pressure will not fail to be I'M
derstoOd and strengthen the ties bind
ing together Christian hearts. 1t will
add its silent testimony to the souls
good will. The place will become en-
deared with blessed memories, life re-
ceive new impetus to a SUMMER flow,
and the soul grow hungry for the week
ly refreshment, cheer, and stimulus of
the 'sweet hour of prayer"
Let all be interested to go, and go to
be interested, and they will find no Oc-
casion to complain of dead prayer meet
ings. Such deafness is largely in the
hearts of those who cry out against it.
Those who live in the smoke of smoul-
dering fires never see blue skies nor the
clear sunshine Chronicle.