New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-29
"Pcace, peace, troubled soul
Immortality is not far away u


seeming to whisper,
"Pcace peace, troubled soul
Immortality is not far away y
NEED OF REGULAR TIMES FOR PRAYER.
Finally the example OF Jesus as man Of prayer
teaches us that to make provision Tor httihg
times and occasions TO pray, and that we are 10 give
ourselves to securing those times with frmness and
earnestness recall your attention to the teaching
of the text and context "And they that had eaten
were about five thousand men, beside women ana
children. And Jesus straightway constrained'-that
is compelled" His disciples to get into snip, anu 10
60 before Him unto the other side, while lie sent inc
muttudes away lie seems TO have been seized Win
a holy impulse, with "a divine feryor AS hungry
man. long abstanng from food by enforcement, draws
near at last to table filed with bounties, ana Is
Impatient so does His soul, that had all DAY long
carried its lonely grief over the death OF John the
Baptist, now at last cry out, must naSe ~, ny
multitude away, and at once lie seeks prayer with
God Ian. u,., Hon,
veined they are with insincerity! How cold they
are How formal, how llfeless, how perfunctory;
nsw have S' sssr ssT send f the
away not the multitude Of people then the multi
is lang sisSy effort dspOssess mind and 50
we seek TO appease our conscience we neci GOWN wi,
time we hear tho worldly voices, or the tramp Of
hurrying feet. and we are not alone with our COD
ness Of faith required to say this of thoughts
about gold and honor, and wealth, and ease, and
How long has IT been since by foresight you saved
an hour to be alone with Cod How superficial our
prayers are Alas how many use prayer merely
as spell as kind of cabalistc word or nccromancy,
like some Eastern magician or African 1eush-wol,
words vainly and superstiously imagining that be
cause we have said them we have averied the wrath
of an angry God. What humiliation OF prayer that
MANY WRONG USES OF PRAYER.
How many use prayer as a charm, as tho ignorant
savage hangs about his neck his string OF beads TO
keep off the demons and the evil spirits that olheI
wise might consume him! How many there are VINO
use prayer simply that they may have their children
live longer how many use prayer that the ne"
business scheme may DO prospered; how many use
prayer that they may have an adv vantage over rival
Again say, this is not prayer; 1t is superstition
gross and debaucbing. Prayer is communion with
Cod prayer is the uplifting OF The soul until 1t is In
Gods presence consciously, prayer Is that spiritual
exercise by which enters into Joyous and purify
ing communion with the Great Spirit OF the universe;
and the best prayer of all prayers asks nothing, IL
loves and adores and worships, and thus is gradually
transformed into the moral likeness OF Linn 10 whom
Suffer me, nv brethren, to exhort you TO pray.
Are You young and just fastening on the armor foc
the strife of life Then pray as Jesus prayed az
YOU Are you in Joy! Then sufuse aud perfume
YOUR Joys in prayer. Are you in adversity7 Then
pray to be delivered from the bitter spirit of envy
and malgnity and eSpair. Are you weary OF inc
world Then force yourself to be alone with Cod,
and the stars, and the sea, and the mountain, anu
duty and eternity, and you Will come back to ire
equipped 10 wage successful against every foe
DO YOU SEQ the Cross looming up darkly before you
Thon pray that you may have fellowship with Ills
suierings through whose Cross the world found life
Does the crowd applaud you? Then pray that no
crown may be your forehead but the Crown OF
Life Docs the crowd hiss and execrate you Then
pray that you may have fellowship with Him who
was alone save as the Father with Him.
Are you on the mount Of vision, breathing the
heavenly air, your heart glowing with strange JOY
the horizons disappearing one after another, until
there ere no horizons ard you feel the and
powor of eternity Then pray that you may not be
content to stay there but that you may be quckened
TO come back TO where struggle, and help them.
Has the evening Gomez 1t hastens for some OF u.s.
Has the evening comet Does the sinking sun begin
10 touch the waves of lifes mysterious seal Are
you looking upon the wellwOrn paths. and the
familiar landscape, and the dear faces for the last
the solemn breath, of night Then pray that 1t may
please God graciously to fulfil in you the words OF
the prophet At evening time 1t shall DO light.