The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-24

mother prayed back her bad boy from the
ends Of the earth-from Canton, from
| Madras, from Constantlnople-until he
| knelt beside her in the old homesteadf
| Have there not been desperadoes and
renegades who have looked into the door OF
prayer meeting 10 laugh and scott at it,
| who have been drawn by the power OF
PRAYER, until they ran to the altar crying
| out for mercyl Did not the blacksmith In
| Lyons, New York, pray TO God until there
came great awakening that shook the
| community.
In my parish, IN Philadelphia. one night
| at a meeting, ! asked young mar 70 60
| into room at the side Of the church, and
| talk upon the theme OF religion. He grew
violently angry. aud shook his fists at me.
| We resolved TO pray for that young man,
and we prayed that he might yield his soul
10 God And when, next night, at the
meeting, the side Ioor was flung open, he
| was the nrst TO step in. Prayer had capt
ured him. had classmate in college
whose uncle, Dr. John Scrdder. Of India,
| wrote TO him, saying: ~ will pray for you
| every day until such a day, and then | Will
| give my attention to some otner subject
| The last day of these prayers when they
| had all gathered up before the throne of
God, my classmate surrendered his soul TO
| Jesus. This is no second hand story. | saw
| the letter, and knew the young man.
But why should ! go so fari | have had
in my own experience, and l have had In
the history 0: my own family the evidence
that God answers prayer. Ny mother,
with three christian women, assembled
week after week, and prayed for their
children; they kept up that prayer meeting
OF four persons year after year The world
knew nothing of it. God answered all those
prayers All the group came in; the
eleven sons and daughters of my mother
came in, myself the last.
SSiCxnaSg CANA m INV Observation-Disclosures
sickness, as it seemed to many. At
o'clock on Saturday afternoon the invalid
was carried to the steamer for Savannah.
At II O'Clock the next day, being Sunday,
standing in this very place, a man OF God
prayed for the recovery of the sick one. At
that time, IL o'clock, she who had been
Frustrated three weeks, with some help,
walaed up on deck. The occurrence was as
near to being miraculous as | can imagine.
That she was hopelesSly sick, people who
sat up with her night after night, and are
here, can testify That the prayer for her
recovery was offered in this pulpit, thous-
ands of people could testify. That at IL
O'Clock on that Sunday morning she walked
up on decls, as by Il miraculous recovery,
call the passengers on the San Jaclnto,
commanded by Capt. Atkins, December &c.
| to testify. This is no secondhand story.
Prayer impotent! If l dared to think
there was no force III prayer, methinks God,
after all he has done for me aud mine,
would strike me dead. Prayer impotent!
Why it is the mightiest force in the uni
verse Lightning mas no speed, the Alpine
avalanche mas no power compared with it.
Win you let the distractions and the va
carries of few skoptics, or q good many
skeptics. stand beside the experience of
Gen Havelock, who came out in front of
the English army, lifted his hat and called
upon the Lord Almighty9 Or of George
Washington, who, at Valley Forge, was
found upon his knees in prayers or of
William Wilberforce who went from the
British parliament o the closet of devotions
or with Latimer, who stood with his hands
on fire, in martyrdom, praying for his per
secutorsa Was Washington weak! Was
Havelock weak3 Was Wilberforce weak9
Was Latimer weak! Bring all the affairs
of your store, of your soul, of your body,
of your friends, of your church, before him,
and the great eternity will show you that
the best investments you ever made were
your prayer, and though you may have
broken promises you made to God, God
never broke his promises to you. Let God
be true, though every man be found liar.
And now, In conclusion, | have to present
you some checks, blank checks on the bank
of heaven, written in blood and signed by
the hand wounded on the cross. 1t is not
safe for you to give blank check with your
name to it. You do not know what might
be written above. But here is a blank check
which God says | can give you. 1t is signed
by the handwriting of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and you can fill it up with anything you
want to. TASK, and it shall be given to
you; seek, and ye shall find" l do not say
that your prayer will be answered in just
the way you expect, but do say it will be
answered in the best way OH will you
test hims This is the outcome Of all this
subject.
If should ask the men and women in
this audience who have found God prayer
answering GOD to rise up you would nearly
all rise up. In time of darkness and trouble
as in time of light and prosperity, he
answered you. l commend you to that
God to whom your parents dedicated you in
infancy. They believed SO much in prayer
that their last wcrd was duplication for
you. Having heard you in days Of pros
perity. he will not reject your last petition,
when in the darkened room, after they have
wiped the dew of death from your brow,
and the whole group of loved ones have
kissed you goodbye, you have only strength
enough left to pray: Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit"