The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-22
*An actual incident, related by Gen: Hancock
six Rules for Prayer.

ment of the divine promises. God never
promised anything baneful to his people.
Let one present draft that bears good
signature at the Office of solvent bank,
and he may hope for the money. Ask
for aught else, for aught that he cannot
show right or title, for which he has no
name, and so no claim, and he may ex;-
pect disappointment or rebuff. In pre-
senting the divine promises at tho throne
OF grace, we present the best of names
at bank that is ever solvent. Let US,
when we would pray, consider we'll
whether VIC have promise for our plea.
We may not thus ask for so many OBJ
jects, yet shall we, in praying less, pray
more, for mere petition, urwarranted by
q promise, is not prayer. 1t is a good
and a safe rule to MAKE Gods promises
the souls pleas.
REALIZE Your NEED.-Not simply
that you are needy, but what your par
ticular need is. Prayer is need expressed
before God. Peter, sinking, felt his
direful need Of help and cried, "Lord,
save" The publican realized his need Of
mercy and cried, "God be merciful,to
me sinner. Each prayed. Blessed be
God we can present every need that
may arise in life's experience, and yet
plead the promises. If there were
nought els, to plead, we could present
the assurance, "My God shall supply
all your need," which, even if only an
apostolic utterance, was divinely in
spired and authorized. 1t is like unto
q national bank mote that has the stamp
of the government, and i, as good as
government greenback. This assurance
will pass current in the market of grace
our God will own it as ; promise. Yet
there arc promises moro specific, if the
soul seeks such. Bread, water, cloth
ing, pardon, peace, light, life, guidance,
and care. What good thing has God
not promised2
ASK IN S1MPL1crrY-True need forgcts
to be formal. Its utterances fly from the
heart as sparks from blacksmith's anvil.
Set phrases, long sentences, polysyllabic
words, find little favor with the soul
that is athirst for God and His grace.
How brief are the sentences of the i'm
mortal and inimitable prayer, which
Christ taught his disciples. Not long
word is there. Temptation is the
longe t, and the majority of the words
are of one syllable. Do you essay to
lead others in prayer2 Utter no word
that any who hear cannot understand.
Express their need as well as your own.
Do not 60 to the mercy-seat on stills.
Short sticks burn quickest, and short
pleas soonest set the heart on fire.
Your HEART MUST PRAY.-The heart
is the centre of Christian life. With the
heart man believeth unto Righteousness.
No heart, no faithl and so no heart, no
prayer. God plainly dencunees those
who draw near to him with their lips
while their hearts are far from him. In
vain our eloqeunt petitions seem to seek
blessings higher than the stars, while
our hearts grovel in the dust. How dare
we pray for conservation while our hearts
love the world and delight in it. Throw
the heart into each petition, and weight
and emphasis will be given it. Had God
no heart of love, his hand would bestow
no blessing, his lips speak to us, no bene-
diction. And if we have no heart of
faith, vainly our lips utter prayers, vainly
our hands are stretched out for good
gifts from above.
EXPECT AN ANSWER If no an swer is
desired, why pray3 True prayer has in
it q strong element of expectancy. He
that comes to God must believe in him
as a rewarder of those who diligently
seek him. In his love and wisdom, God
may answer our prayers in way diff
ferent from our expectations; but to go
to him in need, to plead the fulilment
of the promises which meet that need
and then to doubt the certainty of a
response, is unworthy of any Christian.
The deeper the conviction of the sous
neel, the stronger will be the desire for
an answer; and pleading the promises,
there will come with the memory Of
them IN assurance of tho answer to tho
pleas presented.
REMEMBER YOUR PRAYERs.-Why
should you expect God to remember our
wants if we forget them. The deeply
felt wants of OUT hearts will not easily
be forgotten. If we pray, "Deliver US
from evil" and at once forget our prayer,
we are likely to yield easily to tempsa'
I ton. The memory of the prayer, II 1t
has been the uttcrance of the hearts
felt need, will, of itself, be a means OF
grace in that we shall be likely to renew
the petition. Such prayer felt, remem-
bered, renewed, will be as panop:y
about us, shield ind defence. And
if we remember our prayers, are We not
likely, while looking to God for the