The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-11-23

y "
to build churches or to repair them when
everybody SAYS its no use trying; they
are the politicians who obtain Federal
appointments to Office for themselves or
their friends against all probabilities;
they are the men VINO work out reforms
which all the world counted impossible.
They are the Edward kimbnlls, the An
thony Comstucks, and the Mrs Gainses
aud the Beaoonsdelds Of their genera
ton" so In every case we shall lind
that success depends upon persistence;
determined and unbcnding will; spirit
that will resis, and overcome every diff
Guilty however gigantic, however formid-
able.
Now, II we turn to the parable, we
shall see that IL Is precisely this spirit;
this habit Of importantly that our Lord
commands Us to cultivate and exercise
In all our applications at the throne Of
Grace. We aIe to ask and keep asking,
seek and keep seeking, knock and Keep
Knocking, till success rewards our Ell
forts. God cannot resist importantly
any better than man; lie Ia just as as
sailaDle, just as ready to be bent aud in
cllned by the PRAYERS IA any hui
man being. any friend Is to to be inn
pressed and influenced by the request of
his fellow. As a father pitieth HE chill
dren, So the Lord pitch them that fear
him; and 1t Is just as unreasonable to
suppose that God will not yield to a
persistent and earnest entreaty OF
legitimate character as that YOU and !
| should refuse to listen to the
solicitations of n child that we
love and cherish. Look at some
of the Instances recorded In the Bible,
In confirmation of this statement. Jacob
wrestles with the Angel of the Cove
nant, and tho he says, let me go,for the
day breaketh, the unilinching suppliant
exclaimed, | will not let thee 20 except
thou bless me, and he prevails and re-
ceiyes the blessing, tho he came out with
a lame thigh thAt sent him limping to
his grave. The Syro pheniian woman
Is repuised with the words, "lt Ia not
meet to take the children's bread and
cast 1t to the dogs.N but she at once de-
mands the crumbs that fall beneath, and
her daughter Is made whole In that very
hour. Christ prays with agony in the
garden, nm agony that caused him to
sweat great drops OF blood; and the
burden is lifted by the appearance Of
Angels that ministercd unto and gave
him strength. The church pray with
out ctasing FOR The I'M r,sOned Peter
and light SHINES In the dungeon; the
chains fall oil his hands; the prison
doors open OF their own accord: and the
beWildered apostle stands before the
still more bewildered and astOnished
RhOda, who, for her welcome ANNOUNCE
ment Is met with the words, thou art
mad. Cornelius who, tho by birth n
heathen-prayed TO God always-hears
from above the words Thy prayers and
thine aims are come up for memorial
before God, Sends to Jappa. for Peter,
and Is receive " tn his rejoicing house
hold and follower into the Church (
the living God. VINO o. Us, with sucu
examples "a these, and others that might
be mentioned eau believe that God viii
not be conquered by importantly; that
ii we are persistent and faithful, We
shall not meet with the same success OF
Jacob, of the SyrO Phenecan, of our
b essed Lord, Of the praying church and
the believing Cornelius. We do not SUI
ticiently appreciate and act upon the
principle here inculcated, hut be assure d
that II we will only persist with the ter =
aoity of the man who wanted the lOHycs
for his friend, God will hear and bless
Lastly, notice the application that the
| sa red writer himself makes OF this par
| able; viz, the absolute certainty OF the
| gilt OF the Holy spirit, rs the result Of
faithful, earnest, impOr,unate prayer.
Read the three last verses and see
| how strong they are. II "A son shall ask
| bread OF any of you that Is II father, will
| he give him a stone, or If he ask IA fish
| will he give him Il serpent. Or If he
shall ask AN egg will he offer him a scor-
pion. II ye then being evil know how
TO give good gifts unto your children,
| how much more shalls lOJr Heavenly
| Father give the Holy spirit TO them that
* him.
There are doubtless times when even
the best and most persistent of Us after
| IA n a ar a al
prayer rise up with the feeling that we
have only received stones ana snake s
| and scorpions for our pains, instead Of
the bread, the fish and the egg that We
have asked for; We feel thoroughly dis.
couraged aud perhaps think what is d G
use of praying. or why persist in OileI
ing petitions that remain unans wered
The error lies In our own short-sighteC'
ness; in debating or rather adyisiog
God, instead of seeking his advice; III
asking thro' Ignorance for things which
injury, instead of profit, and which oul
Heavenly Father In his wIsuom and Low,
declines to grant.
But not so with the petitions that MAJ
be offered for an outpouring OF the Holy
Spirit. Whatever doubt or uncertainty
may be associated with other requests
rs to whether il Is best that they shOul(
be granted or denied, in this, there i
and there can be no uncertainty; for ma
needs that spirit under every ciroum
stance aud condition Of life neYe
should he be without 1t; never can h
have too much of 1t, His very life
strength, efficiency, salvation depend
upon its possession; upon its indwellinl
energy and power. Without 1t he Gu
be nothing in himself: he can do nothin
for others. This is fixed fact in tn
divine economy; hence let him ask 70
that Spirit, and let him ask Alright, an
he will just rs surely, nay more surel
receive 1t, than the child will receiv
what he needs from a tender and lovin
father. There is no possibility Of failuI
in the case.
Notice how strongly We have this
Illustrated in the history oil the Apostle
in the first Christian Prayer meetin
that was ever held on earth, at least
which we have any record-in thu
? upper chamber In Jerusalem, on I'll
day of Penteoost. They came togeth,
in one place, with one min,
3 one aim; one object; one determin
% tion, and that to be brought under III
A power of the promised spirit, 1t WI
the all-absorbiug topic of their though
- and OF their petitions, and like Jacob
! old, they would NOT leave the place u
I Ill they had received the blessing. IN,
D prayed with the feryid earnestness an
D importantly Of men who felt that the
s all depended upon that one thing, al
;, what was the resultY Suddenly the
r Cau g from heaven a sound MS OF u
l. rustlinR of mighty wind: the house