Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-09-08
DOES GOD HEAR AND HELPY
Sermon Preached by Rev. ]. N.
Prestridge in the Baptist
Church Aug. 3lst, 1885.

1
help in trouble" Psalms iG:l.,
In these days it has become quit,
common 10 hear men express doubt
as TO any profit coming from prayers
to God for help. They say that natur,
is in the hands of network of law
which are Interchangeable, and so tC
pray to God is to appeal to blind
forces. Sad indeed is the condition
Of one who can so look upon prayer
so construe the promises of the Bible
Such souls orphan themselves by
shutting out their Father.
On the other hand there are a good
many who make sad mistake at the
other extreme. They think that If
they are in need and pray earnestly
that whatever they ask will be forth
coming, that God is in some way
proprietor Of.an exhaustess general
merchandise store where are shelves
of canned goods and shoes and dresses
and hams and barrels of flour and
medicines and tools. We mightjudge
this their conception from the way
they pray. Many have thus approach
ed the throne of God and not receiv-
ing answers have dropped into douots
and GOODNESS and Indifference. God
has not so revealed himself nor does
he promise to answer such petitions.
We can but pity all such when they
are disappointed. 4
Then the question comes up, how
does he help To answer this ques-
ton is the Objec of this discourse.
Now man is weak and in trouble
and in want, yet these do not come
from the same source, the same causes.
lie is weak on the one hand because
rithin him is ignorance and fear and
sin, and on the otter hand because
about him are temptations and Gus.
toms and laws strong aud sometimes
irresistible. His fears and troubles
o)me upon him from II 'ciousilt of
MS weakness and INABILITY OH the one
hand, and on the other from a roaliza-
tion of what there is pressing on him
from without. 1 would have you
keep these distinctions clearly in your
mind for only in SO doing can we I'M
derstaud AMI ans yer tVls question
Now state plainly and without
hesitation that God deals without
mans affairs from within the man
and not with the things without.
Ofcourse we except miracles. What!
shall we not pray for clothes and
friends and food ? No! that is not for
them as material things to be given
as directly. God does not make
friends to order, or keep on hand a
supply of clothes that he may select
the right number when the naked
cry unto him.
What sad death was that reported
in the Louisville papers last week. |
refer to the young woman who delib-
erately went out and above the city
with a fixed determination to destroy
her life. She deliberately waded out
into the rivertn pinned acllorofOrm-
ed towel about her head and stood
until becoming unconscious sank into
the water. Did You read the letter
she hft in her room? Such words l
have never read before. She wrote
that the Bible was false and God I'M
willing or unable to help the helpless.
She had prayed and prayed earnestly
but no answer came. Poor young
woman, so beautiful, so cultured, so
mistaken. She carried her surround
ings to God and not herself. Prayed
that they might be adjusted to her
ideas and wishes, and not that she
might be made content with her
humble sphere that she might receive
friends, and means and congenial en-
ployment, and not that humility and
strength might be given her to do
the humble but honorable work Of
tered. God had no high up vacant
places, no ready made friends to be-.
stow. These must be earned. There
was offered her the position of COM
panion to the mother of one of Louis
ville's wealthiest and most generous
christian citizens; here seemed to be
the opportunity of making the best
and ablest of friends, a direct answer,
perhaps, to her faulty prayer, But,
no, she asked for things meterlal. She
made the mistake so many are max
ing. Let me illustrate this thought
further. Here is poor boy money
less, ignorant and friendless. lie is
restless and dissatisfied, he has on
underlined longing. Taught by u
christian mother to look to God in
trouble he bows in prayer. For what
shall he ask? A dozen friends and
hundreds of dollars and college
diploma No. He just takes himself
to God and asks for direction in the
way he would have him go. Com,
mits himself and asks TO be lifted up
to noble manhood. And as he prays
his unrest grows and his longings
take shape, Ills will turns to iron. lie
prays on and he becomes conscious of
strength, the curtain of the future
parts and he sees the possibilities be-
fore him, hope springs into life. lie
walks away erect, his eyes sparkle
and snap, his lips are pressed hard
against each other. Back he turns to
his daily task tlinging aside every ex-
travagant and idle habit and doubles
the force of every stroke and quickens
every movement. lie is promoted,
his wages are doubled. With his
boarded evenings he enters college,
deserves friends and help and they.
are offered he wins the honors, and
to his valedictory applause echoes to
itself. Positions, wealth, honors, use
fulness, all are within his reach and he
lays his hand upon them. His prayers
are answered, they were answered
years ago.
Again, here is a mother whose son
is thoughtless and wayward and dis
sipated. She is christian and so
would go to God for help. For what
shall she pray2 That the doggeries
shall be burned, or that oaths shall
blister his lips? No. She would be
no wiser or more successful than that
unwise young woman. First let that
mother take her own soul TO God and
ask him to help her, to make her the
spirit of gentleness and affection, to
fill her soul to overlooking with faith
and devotion, to pray until her soul
takes fire from the altar of Heaven.
Then, when thus fitted for the rescue,
let her day by day place her arms
about that boys neck and smoothe