Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-10-03
ISLAND POND, VERMONT. OCTOBER ), 1890

never yet asked GOd 10 DO any Jnlng OUT
BE did it, II IL were best aud In al the casa
where my PRAYER has not been answered
have found ont afterward that It was best
not to have been answered in my wav. But
none Of us has tested the full power OF pray
er. It Is a force very Ike some OF the forces
of nature that were In existence bat not en-
ployei. For ages electricity wa tloIghs
good for nothing but 70 blrl blrn7 AMI kill
people with one fell stroke. Ths lightning
rod on the top Of houses was tn spear With
which the world charged on the thunder
storm, as much as 10 say: "It you dare 20
come this way l will hnri you into the
ground" But nov electricity lightens
homes and churches AMI cities AMI Christen-
dom, and moves rail cars, aud he is rash
man who mentions anything as impossible
10 this natural energy.
So the power OF prayer was to the world
rather a frightful power, IL It was any
power at ALL But that has been changed and
men begin to use it In soma things, and the
time will come when 1t VIII he used in all
things and there will bo q Bible in every
counting room, ana supplication will ascent
from every commercial establishment, and
when business firms ars for nod the question
will not only be asked as to how much this
one and that one put in OF capital, but the
question will bs asked: "Do yoI know how
to prayT Mightier agent than any natural
force yet developed will bs this Gospel cleo
tricity flashing heavenwari for hslp, fash
ing esrthward with divine response. God in
business life. Goi in Agricultural Vie Cd
In mechanical life. GOD in artistic life. Got
In every kind OF life.
Your religion for the most part is hung up
70 high you cannot reach it. 1t is hung up
on the cloudy rafters Of the sky, where you
expect to snatch it up as you finally go
through for heavenly residence. On, have
your religion within easy reach nowl Re
ieion is not for heaven, but for this world.
Once in heaven we will neei no prayer, for
we shall have everything we want We will
neei no repentance, for we shall have for
ever got rid Of our sins. We shall have no
need Of comfort, for there will be no trouble.
The Christian religion Is not for heaven,
where everything Is all right, but for this
world, where so many things are all wrong.
Washington Allston, whose name you
recognize as that OF a great American
painter, was reduced to extreme poverty.
and one day got on his knees and asked for
a loaf Of bread for himself and his starving
family. While he was bowed In that prayer
there was q knock at the door, and man
came In and said How about your paint
ing, the Angel Uriel," that received the
prize at the royal academy, Has it been
soldr' .No,n said Allston. "How much do
you want for itf' Allston repliedi II am
done fixing q price, for cannot got It."
"Will four hundred pounds be enoughf'
asked tho stranger. "Why, that Is more
than asked, said Allston. The four hum
dred pounds two thousand dollars) were
paid, and the purchaser introduced himself
as the Marquis Of Stafford, who thereafter
was one of the most liberal patrons OF tho
rescued artist. "Oh, that all Just happened
sor Did itt Tell that to some ignorant
man, some benightsd woman, who has never
read the promise, Call upon Ne IN the day
Of trouble, will deliver thea" or that other
promise 1.-THE crooked shall be straight"
"Well." says one. "you don't apply this in
every direction Yes. do. Take the most
uncertain thing oa earth-the weather. The
Bible distinctly says that prayer controls the
weather. james v, II, lS: ELIAS was q
man subject to like passions rs we are, and
he prayed earnestly that. it might not rain,
and 1t rained not on the earth for the space
Of three years and six months; and he prayed
again and the heavens gave rain" Do you
say that was the weather OF olden time
There have bean instances in modern tine:
lust as marvellous. There's not Christian
ship captain but could give you instances
Of divine interference with the weather In
answer to prayer. IL has been my gooc
fortune TO know many ship captains. They
are all in our services. They leave theil
vessels on Sunday mornings and join usiu
worship.
warrant there are enough Of them pres
ent this morning to take a whole feet ir
safety across the Atlantic Whenever have
heard them testify it has nightly confrme,
me in what know before, that God answer
PRAYER concerning the weather And ther
have been cyclones that started up from th
Caribbean Sea, sweeping down every ssil AM
every smokestack aud every mast in tset
course, which in answer to specihc petition
have been diverted and made 10 cufYe aroun
some particular snip, leaving that In cain
waters and then reSlming their or1gius
path Of destruction The weather probs
biities again and again have announced
tempest, and we were all ready for 1t, but
the surprise Of rnost people the next day "
saw the announcement that the atmospheri
fury had changed its course, TIE probabi
Ity is it struck II prayer and Siancso OF.
Elias's prayer affected the weather OF faie
tine for forty-two m"RtaR | should thu
somebody now might have prayer th'
would affect 1t for couple OF days.
John Easter was many years ago an oval
gelist IN Virginia A large outdoor meetin
was being held ia that State. Many tho
sands had assembled In the open air, ar
, heavy storm clouds began to gather. The
was no shelter to which the multitude cou
, retreat The rain had already reached g
adjoining fields when John Easter cried ou
brethren be still while call upon God
, stay the storm till the Gospel is preached
this multitude" Then he kneit and pray,
: that the audience might be spared irnm &
rain. and that after they had gone to the
, homes there might come refreshing shower
Behold, the clouds parted as they came ne
/ and passed to either side of the crowd al
then closed again, leaving the place dl
where the audience had assembled, and .
= next dav the postponed showers cams up
!, the ground that had been tho day befo
i omitted.
o Do YOU say IL only happened sol I cam
| .se what YOU keep your Bibles for, and
70 God you worship is not my God. Your q
10 Ia an autocrat and he is 30 far OH and
,s ~ far I'D that the world cannot touch him, a
! his throne is an eternal iceberg. My God
a father, here aud now, and u father "
y give his child what he asks Tor II 1t is best
y him to have it. Pray about everything Il
70 70 concerns you, secularities as well as spiritu
~, y, tiles, Take tc God all your annoyances 4
m pcrplexities. The crooked shalt be ms
~ ~ straight. Some people talk as though G
ao controlled things In general but not In p
io ticular; that Hs started everything UNI
~ certain laws and then let 1t take care OF
IL self, as an engineer might start his iocoI
m tive on an iron railroad Mack and then Ju
do oil. What would happen to such locoi
ut tive is what would long ago have happe
It to our world il God had started 1t and af
,ir ward allowed 1t to look out for itself
no There is no such thing as general pr
or dence 1t is particular providence.
en has no general care for a forest. It is c
.p- Of every cell OF every leaf and root in {
mt forest. Col has no general care Of the oce
in. 1t is care of every drop Of water in
ch LIQUID magnitude. God has no general c
be- for the human race. 1t Is u care OF every
II diyidual OF thai race and Of every item
nd individual history. Ipreach Him, a Go
of ipfinitesimals, an every day God, a God
klo sponsive, and one breath Of earnest pra!
EAR though that breath should not be str
rty enough to make candle flicker, will abs
'ty. more OF the divine attention than II the al
=, or angel standing at tho foot OF the thr
tty. should flap both wings.
OF 1t Is remarkable how many crooked thi