Jamestown alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1882, 1881-10-14
quisite skill the wide reaching interests


stoWment Of the exact boon solicited, or
indirectly by something substituted in its
stead which shall subscrve q" sane or
wider and better uses and be -, III har-
mOny with the higher ccomiu...5 OF the
universe with which man is measurably
unacquaintcd and which could not safely
be entrusted to other guardianship than
that Of Him who is responsible Tor their
distribution and who alone is competent
to hold in adjustment resources and forces
so unuttcrably vast and intricate. The
gospel preached to the wanton and smit-
ten isracltcs by the braZcn serpent in the
infested wilderness was of infinitely more
value to them and to the generations Of
mankind who have followed them than
the direct answer of the petition for the
removal of the flying serpcnts would have
been; and the sufficient grace bestowed
on Paul, under the invigoration OF which
he could achieve the exalted purposes of
his heroic life, and beat back With tren-
chant blows the powerful and Unscrupu-
lous foeso the gospel he preached, was a
deeper, BROADER more and help
full blessing than the direct answer to his
thrice repeated supplication would have
brought him.
H. An intellectual nature limited to n
that, pcrcciving only with vision dim
and blurred by the vapors that SIN has
wrapped around it like The folds Of dark
cloud and diTused through it like the dis
ntegrating virus of some deadly disease,
and moral nature warped by the fires
of passion, and stung by the fangs of
grief, corrupted by lndulgcd appetites,
and deceived and swindled by mislead-
ing tendencies and propenslties, charged
with the lightning OF perverted will and
loaded with the crushing burden of de-
ranged forces and conscious guilt, is not
infallible in It's choices nor immaculate III
its spirit. And on what conditions pure
and holy spirit can hold communion with
such an onc--On what conditions God has
promised to answer prayer is Il question
that touches the very foundations OF
this transccndant theme. We may not
say, perhaps, how far the infinite love Of
humankind will go in the bcsowment Of
undcserved favors and to what extremes
of incalculable beneiicence His pity Will
carry him in supplying the means of vir-
tue and the motives OF repentance to those
who need them most; but we can say what
he has promised to do, and for whom III
His word; and laying aside every effort to
be wise above what is written, it is ever
safe, to say the least, TO stand within the
cirCumScubcd arc covered by the radiant
bow Of Divine covenant; and it would
certainly be unjust to the argument to
overlook the prescribed conditions i'll our
estimate of the value of prayer.
IL IS not drawing an uhWafFahted nor
IL l'Vldious oistlhctioh between men 10 say
'h"t great ana ois.lllS'l!sEeo privileges are
granted ~ the terms OF me Nospei 10
tiose VINO nave peeil lilatle oIiiiSts ny the
paFtlH'l'atioh ol ms spirit ana tilat among
.li"Sc l'ilF,i IS .l'a1 'elSoi'ai colhll"l-
ION "1.h oou "lieh rs 'he hecessery pre-
requisite ., 'hat intercourse VI sPlrle Wlth
sp'fit when prayer nlpi'cs. Inc isain-
l'l ue:lateu lliaC Lay uhto gay uttcrctn
speech ana nlSht uhlo h!Sllt sho"eln
hho"ieuSe' ana they VINO lls.eh 10 Satch
Iiic responsive iio'es ,AA' rise from an tne
choirs or ha'tfc-"ho icilu afiShs tne
!shsUase Oh lss constant Goi'efse-"ih
ica!n ''!''' cail alu answer 'iioush oreaN-
,aS from HiSlah1 poies ol substance or OF
toIct' GraM .lielf l'sp.tat'on lloi1 some
Aouitalt, coniii.oii ~ tleii' outh Wliicii
h'a7sssl lnellsktsh. rl,t re nlalcnicss coihDiha-
ttoAs ana grouping" Which apounu on eV-
e.y hah'!' 'ioli. 'iie Slo"lhS col!S'eIia'lous
or The SKIES 10 1le dust we treaa beneath
our iee'-:rJHi the nro'hcfloous Oh men
20 'llosc oi Sne ''hy sohss'tt' that "arOle
,iG'i nlelDulo'' notes III 'ne goldeh sun
lIsht OF oa'hiy June ano lie husy ants that
cohSfcGa'c N countess hcs'' 10 GO tneir
y, WV h,"". silo" 'he p'i'en' elIci ~ ,1'aI
'les 1iiu "tHill 'ne mysteries ny oI kii1ufco
properly ana trait. h:s asserts tseil IN
,lic ciealiNe power o. piailts anu aniinals
~ llic sica!Hihs h'.ali 'lislI s!Sl,als tie
IlshI oi 'he e!cclilc nu!d from tlG buf-
uciiT' ''o'!t " Joil IT'S sie'cl S''l'ipelii'S
III tnc qulel eartH-a''t III the res's'less
INV eino'i'' ~ d" ,i"."io !. hi,''ie, AoiIeo ~
iestoie pa'ahGo icst' ana why shouia
noI thS sans pehlsn iuic ic"ril over ihto
'llc iea''n ~ 'N ING anu nuhi''h intercourse
"ni lcS''la'c 'helc tne tisCoius "hicn
otl.ci " ist 'tl'Se i'le'a'! IL uoeS' ah,l iicC
u,ltii 1 .iiG iosI HkeNess - iesIorcu ana .!ie
Clrlst-nHe spifit reiShs Wi'nih, can the
III misiiesV ana hottest results nc securca.
lhcn ana thch aione can suppHcatioh be
maze III ms hahc-the suppiicalion that
nc, lhe sunless one, couiu maze. y ma
uoh $ prayers may ne intercepted hy ma
tloh S SIN. Inc Pubiic conscience may DC
so perverted ana tle puDllc spirit may IL
so corrupted that the pam OF humilH..tA Il
ahG the agonles Oh remorse are more ap-
propratc and more ncedini than the COM
pi'1Sti|y "iNusoiio ~ "'i "'i'" '"P
plicatlon would be- Our prayer, to be &C
Ceptabie, must ne tnc one lie can make
his own, both III spirit ana IN substance.
such IS the prayer OF faith-such Is pray
ing IN lis name
Ill. 1t needs no line drawn argument
to show that however wide may be The
scope OF prayer, 1t could not have been
designed TO cover the unchanglng prln-
cipi.s of the Divine Government nor the
hxcd laws OF It's administration, nor to In
lerfere with the accomplishment OF those
grand ends which the immense outlay of
the compact and adjusted universe must
have been intended to suhserVe; nor (While
we have no authority to say that lie may
not sometime work miracle IN answer to
prayer if it falls IN with the principles and
ends OF Ills government have we any
assurance tirlt ne has imposed upon HIM
self constant obligation to do this when
ever the result asked for seems to demand
II. Rather should we imagine that so
great are the interests staked on the sta
Dlll'y OF forces and the regularity and or
der OF the worl9, ana with such sanctl'y