The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-11-27

D0IOEe, CndG 0OU answers prayer OOh-
corning the weather. And there have
been cyclones that started up from the
Caribbean Sea, sweeping down every
sail and every smokestack and every
mast in their course, which IN
answer to specific petition have
been diverted and made to curve
around some particular ship, leaving
that in calm waters, and them resum-
ing their original path of destruction.
The weather probabilities again and
again have announced tempest, and
we were ready for it, but, to the sur-
prise of most people, the next day we
| saw the announcement that the atmos-
! pheric fury had changed its course.
The probability is it struck prayer
and glanced off. If Elijah's prayer
| affected the weather of Palestine for
| forty-two months, should think some
body now might have prayer that
would affect it for couple of days.
John Easter was many years ago an
evangelist in Virginia. A large out
door meeting was being held in that
State. Many thousands had assembled
in the open air and heavy storn-clouds
began to gather. There was no shelter
to which the multitudes could retreat
The rain had already reached the d
joining fields when John Easter cried
out! Brethren, be still while call
upon God to stay the storm till the Cos
| pei is preached to this multitude"
Then he knelt and prayed that the
audience might be spared from the
rain and that after they had gone
to their homes there might come re-
freshing showers. Behold the clouds
parted as they came near and passed 10
either side of the crowd and then closed
again, leaving the place dry where the
audience had assembled, and the next
day the postponed showers came upon
the ground that had been the day be-
fore omitted. Do you say it only hap
pened so? | can not see what you keep
your Bibles for, and the God you wor-
ship is not my God. Your God is an au-
tocrat and He is so far off and so far up
that the world can not touch Him, and
His throne is an iceberg. My God is
father, here and now, and a father
will give his child what he asks
for if it is best for him to
have It, Pray about every thing
that concerns you, secularities as we'll
as spiritualitieS Take to God all your
annoyances and perplexities. The
crooked shall be made straight. Some
people talk as though God controlled
things in general, but not in particu-
lar; that lie started every thing under
certain laws and then let it take care
of itself, as an engineer might start his
locomotive on an iron railroad track
and then jump off. What would hap
pen to such locomotive is what would
long ago have happened to our world if
God had started it and afterward al
lowed it too look out for itself There
is no such thing as a general provi-
dence 1t is a particular providence.
God has no general care for forest. 1t
is care of every cell, of every leaf
and root in that forest God has no
general care of the ocean. 1t is a care
of every drop of water in the liquid
magnitude. God has no general care
for the human race. 1t is a care of
every individual of that race and Of
every item of individual history. 1
preach Him, a God in infinitesi mails,
an everyday God. God responsive,
and one breath of earnest prayer,
though that breath should not be
strong enough to make candle flicker,
will absorb more of the Divine attention
than if the arehangel standing at tho
foot of the throne should flap both
wings.
But to those who were once happily
united on earth, but are now separated
the same thought comes, in good cheer.
Not long separated Tradition says
that two bells were nodded and sent
, from Spain for distant land to chime
in church tower. But while in a storm
at sea one of these bells was wrecked,
and only one reached the shore and was
| hung in the church tower. And som .
people thought that, when standing
on the land, they heard that bell ring
ing for worship or in a wedding
peal, they could at the same time hear
from the sea the lost bell ringing as if
in response. Some of our friends and
, kindred have crossed the stormy sea,
and are in the tower of God on high
, But we are still in the tempest, and
sometimes the surges beat over us, but
our souls are still in accord with those
who have gone, and they ring down to
us and we ring up to them, and there is
sympathy between us that can never
die.
''Oh," says some one, 1.-The crook in
MY lot you have not mentioned, and I
sit clear outside of all the consolat tons
you have offered" Well, 1 will take
after you with Gospel comfort, and
reach you before l close. Do you think
your wound is so deep the Divine sur
! geon can not treat it? Have you a
trouble that overmasters God? Is your
annoyance of such nature that you
must suppress it? All, that is
what is killing you. Trouble must
be told. or it stings to death
the one who carries it. If there is no
man or woman that you can trust with
the secret, you can trust God. HE away
to Him. Tell Him all about it. Lock
your door and tell Him aloud, and if
| Won dc not peb relief Won will he the