Morning journal and courier., 1891-11-16

thirty -four years, to engage in useless ex-
ercises do your
"T do not want to suppose anything"
said. MY question has no reference to
my own views. What ask are facts on
which others may get beyond their suppo-
sitions."
"Well, there are literally thousands of
them" said Mr.. Lanphier. Besides per-
sonsl Acknowledgements of answers that
have been received to prayer in open
meeting, we have boxes filed with letters
from all parts of the world acknowledging
the divine interposition in a manner so di-
rect as to leave no reasonable grounds for
question. For many a passage has been
opened through blind wall; difficulties
the most formidable and apparently in
surmountable have been overcome by
means humanity inefficient and deemed i'm
practicable; victims of appetite have been
released from its bondage; wayward sons
have been arrested and erring husbands
and wives have been reclaimed by appeals,
direct or circumstantial, to their better ma
lures, after prayers that were offered for
them here, of which at the time, and long
after, they were wholly ignorant; and as
to the number who have been saved by the
direct influence they met with in these
meetings, that is beyond my recollection.
ga man came here one day in such
state that 1 had to take him kindly by the
arm and lead him into the hall. He was
80 drunk that he could scarcely stand. He
went away without a scene. But after
ward my conscience smote me for allow
ing him to depart without obtaining his
address, that 1 might look him up and try
to aid him. prayed that he might come
back. and back he came few days after.
He personally asked the prayers of the
meeting that he might be delivered from
the appetite for whisky. A number of
gentlemen put some money in my hands,
and finding that he was homeless, l got
him boarding place in Cliff strset. He
kept straight for few weeks and managed
to get employment, but on going over to
Jersey City one day he met an acquaint-
ance who asked him to take a drink. He
took it and fell. He came back here again,
however, and, acknowledging that his own
will was powerless, asked,us to pray that
the divine assistance might be continued
to him. 1t was. He remained straight
for years, obtained situation as superin-
tendent of a reformatory institution up
town, which grew in usefulness under his
management until its merits claimed the
attention of Miss Wolf, who bestowed
upon it the sum of fifty thousand dollars,
thus securing for it new premises and large
facilities. The man is now a ruling elder
in one of the most influential Presbyterian
churches in this city.
ga German of the convivial habits of
many of his race came to our meeting
once; he said he never could tell why.
But he was so moved upon by what he
heard that he went off and, on the follow
ing Sunday brought his wife with him to
the Sunday school in the old church.
Both were converted and took charge of
two homeless little girls, whom they
- u, &c H.,
own. The man when he came here was
porter in a leather store, with no certainty
of keeping his employment because of his
habits. He bought out the store some
years ago, and is now one of the wealIhiest
men in his line of business.
"a lawyer who had an Office in Wall
street came in here one day when he was
quite young man. He was fond of the
companionship of fast friends and was
rapidly going their way. Some time be-
fore he had married a good young girl
over in Brooklyn, and she had urged him
to look in at the Fulton street prayer meet
ing. He did it just to oblige her, but
without any more serious thought. But
something that was said appealed to all
the best elements of his nature. He
joined the church with his wife, and
there are few more high minded or re-
spected practitioners at the New York
bar than that man is to-day.
'As to direct answers to prayer.
have had very, very many of them. 1 re-
call the case of young woman met on my
missionary tours who was quite sick, and
her recovery depended on her being sent
to the country. She had no money Eand
had none. But 1 made it a matter of
prayer, and the day following gentleman
came to me at the close of the meeting
here and handed me the exact sum needed
to send the young woman off. He knew
nothing about her case, merely remarking
that 1 might be able to use the money to
advantage.
almost exactly duplicated in another expe-
rience of later date.
ga request once came to our meeting
from Syracuse. The writer, at the in
stance of widow, asked prayers for two
SONS who were bringing disgrace upon
themselves and her. They were both mar
ried and lived twelve miles apart. Meth
er knew of the request on their behalf
nor of the intention of the other, but the
same day on which the prayers were Of
fered they gathered their families in their
respective homes, established household
worship and thus began what have proved
to be consistent Christian careers"
Mr.. Lsnpnier is one of the most es-
teemed Christian workers in New York
city. He is respected by men of all creeds
and of none for his untiring life of charity
and devotion to the poor. He was engaged
in business until 1857, and left it at the
call of the consistory of the North Dutch
church to engage in mission work. His
was the idea, deemed impracticable when
first mooted of bringing Christian bust
ness men of downtown New York togeth-
er at noon to spend whatever fraction of
an hour they could afford in devotion. In
the Fulton street prayer meeting began the
great religious revival of 1857, probably
the most memorable wave of spiritual in
huence that has swept over this continent.
S. GIFFARD NELSON.