Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-10-20
Prayer and Providence.


We believe that God cafes for his chill
dren and gives them succor in every
possible way; that God is our refuge
and our strength in time of trouble
But we do not believe that God works
miracles to-day in behalf of his cause
in the earth, nor in behalf of his chill
dren.
We believe in prayer; that God hears
and answers prayer; that he hears the
heart-eries of his children, and gives
them, in answer to their prayers, that
which is best for them. We do not
know how God answers prayers, but
that he answers prayer we have not a
shadow of a doubt. But it would be
wholly unreasonable for Christians to
even expect that all their petitions will
be answered according to their desires.
Such thing would be impossible, be-
cause God could not grant a request
which would prove a curse instead of
blessing. There are many prayers
which God cannot answer, because he
cannot deviate from the right in any
sense whatever. There are some things
impossible for God to do. If all kinds
of prayer were answered we would
have a very strange world in which to
live. Men would cease laboring and
pray for everything which the heart
could wish, and the heart wishes many
wicked things. During our late war
prayers were fervently offered UP from
both armies, to God, asking HIN to
give their brave men the victor, How
could God answer the prayers o. 9TH
sides at the same time? That he l. ,r,l
these prayers and answered then IA
his own way, we believe, but he did Il. 1
answer them according to the desire Of
the petitioners. Why he did not do SO.
is scarcely a question to any thought
full man or woman. Such thing was
an utter impossibility.
From this it is seen that some
prayers cannot be answered. Then we
need no expect that all prayers, though
they may be offered up by good, Chris
tian people, will be answered. God in
his mercy knows what is right and
what is best. We have confidence in
him that if player is not answered.
1t is right that it should not be answer
ed. God does what is right, though
man often errs. God is infallible and
man is fallible. We do not know what
we need, but God always knows. He
makes no mistakes, no blunders.
"But cannot God answer many
prayers which are not answered, such
as i'll the case of the late president ?''
Our president died, though millions
of prayers were offered in his behalf.
These prayers were not answered so as
to give us back our president. That
they were not answered in accordance
with the desire Of the petitioners is
conclusive evidence that they could
not be answered in this way. This
brings us to another conclusion, that
such a case as the one under consider
alton is beyond the aid of prayer.
President Garfield received a mortal
wound from the hand of an assassin,
and it would have required a miracle
at the hands of God to raise him up.
His case was outside of, and beyond
help or hope. We do not believe that
God works miracles now. If God were
doing such things in the world, we
think our noble president would have
been alive yet, and not only alive, but
well. Surely, if it.were the will of God
to work miracles, if it had not been
out of harmony with the present form
Of his government to do such a thing,
then the prayers of all Christendom
would have been heard. In all the
cases of miracles recorded in the Bible,
there is not one wrought on wounded
man like the president Again. If
the prayers of Gods people were an
swered in all cases of mortal wounds
and death sickness there would be no
more dying in the world. Our old,
limp, halt, lame and blind would all
be kept back from the gateway to the
mysterious unseen. The old song: =:
"Let me go, my soul is weary" would
be robbed of its beauty and sweetness.
There is better land for the children
of God beyond the weeping and sadness,
beyond this hoping and dreading.
When a mans mission is done, he
ought to go home and be at rest. His
earthly tabernacle is worn out, and
why should we beseech Heaven to
keep him where he can do no good.
where he will be away from his re-
ward. When we are worn out, when
our work is done, and when there is
nothing for us to do for the Master,
we want to be released from the bur
dens of life and go home. Let the
weary lie down in angelic arms and
sweetly rest in Jesus, their living
Head.
There is sin for which there is no
forgiveness, neither in this world nor
in that which is to come. This is
what John calls "sin unto DEATH"
He says: "If any man see his brother
sin sin which is not unto death, he
shall ask, and he shall give him life for
them that sin not unto death. There
is sin unto death. / do not say that
he shall pray for it." There are bodily
Affections unto death which must take
their course according to the natural
order of things. 1t is Gods will that
man should die, and pass from this
earth-slavery to the freedom of bet.
ter land. Christ came to soften and
hallow this dark way through which
we must all pass. He prayed his
Father to avert this fearful event, if in
accordance with his will. God heard
the prayer, but did not ward off the
dread event. Jesus had to tread the
dark way alone. 1t was right that he
should do so, and when we get beyond
the fading skies and prison-house Of
clay, we will then understand all about
prayer and providence, all about ou
sorrows and sufferings. Then will W.
see and know that God is good.
The Power of Kindness.
'Ah," sighed the tramp, as he pre-
sented himself at the kitchen door of {
neat and cosy little cottage in the sub
urbs, where kind-looking, elderly lady
was setting things to rights. allow
strange are the ways of this lifel I'll!
only three short years since L was com
fortably situated-a good, comfortabl,
homo fho host food kHo ekoko l.