The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-03-22
True PRAYER.

1t is neither Wise nor right for Gods peo-
pie to be too persistent in pressing particular
requests in prayer; or rather in showing a
wilful disposition in prayer. No matter how
much we want to obtain some fancied good
thing or to avoid some fancied troui lie or
calamity, our petitions ought always to be
accompanied with the feeling and expression
that the Lords will, not ours, may bs done
This is the lesson taught us in Christs ever
memorable struggle in the garden Of
Gethsemane, and it is n revelation of the
nature and effectiveness of true prayer. 1t
is only when the ignorant and weak human
soul submits itself to the guidance of infinite
intelligence and perfect love; only when the
wayward and sinful human will bows to the
righteous Divine Will that there is any real
communion between man and God.
Nor will God answer in the best sense any
other kind of petition. He does indeed at
times answer wrong petitions pushed by the
wilful believer to the extreme and in n wrong
His disply asure and sure to end in disastrous
results. For example: when the Israelites
prayed in a murmuring and rebelious dispo-
sition for flesh, whilst signing after the flesh
pots of Egypt, God replied by sending tiocks
of quail which, though wonderfully crafty
| ing to the appetite bred nevertheless
| plague that destroyed the eaters by thou
sands. So again He yield d to the demand
| of the tribes to send spies into Canaan, which
| displayed a lack Of faith and obedience; but
the conflicting reports of the returned spies
| divided the camp, threw the majority nto
| doubt, fear and despair; and in fact hurled
the nation back into 3S years of wretched
| wanderings in tho wilderness. In the same
way the wish and determination Of tho dis
contented people to have king was a real
| rebellion against the t1eocracy. Well, Je-
| hovah granted the rebellious request and
| himself selected the king, had him anointel
and crowned; but the result was that the
people suffered all sorts of evil from their
| king, so that he became a rod of Divine
/ wrath rather than an instrument of mercy
| and blessing.
The writer of these lines once knew a
mother who was most remarkable in her
| persistence il praying foE the restoration
from perilous sickness of her son. She was
warned that she should say: '"rhe Lord:
will be DONE" but replied that "she could
and would not if that VIII meant the
death of her only and darling boy" Here
was sinful rebellion of heart and will
| Her prayer, however, was answered. The
boy seemed rescued from the jaws of death
but alas, he grew up to b, a wick d, drink
ing, gambling, remorseless wretch tn,
heartbroken mother often recalled will
penitential sorrow her own stubbornness o
will in having refused to bow to wha
seemed call from esd for her boy a
clear as the call once given to Abraham
and wished, too late, that God had takeI
him fro u earth while yet in the beaut;
and innocence of childhood,
The thoughtful and judicious disciple viii
always remember, and in remembering thi
will find all his comfort and joy, that Goo
knows best and will do best, that as his owl
truth Declares "All things work together
for the good of them that 1--we Him." HI
will therefore saw as Jesus did when contem
plating the appal ing scenes of tn, cruel
fixion; 30, Ny Father, IL it be posi- 10, LEI
this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as
win. but as Thou will. - Christian at Work
We are wanting tho strength we need 70
the discovery of truth as yet unknown, be
cause we do not rest enough in truth that W
know. "Rest in the Lord" The creates