The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-06-10

for this world too long. l want to know
If you think can be saved. and il so,
l wish you would tell me how" Upon
his soul the light soon dawned, and the
old miser. not only revolutionized In
heart but in life, began to scatter bene-
factions, and toward all the great chart
ties OF the day he became cheerful and
bountiful almoner. What was the cause
of this change? everybody asked, and no
one was capable of giving an intelligent
answer.
In another part of the church sat,
Sabbath by Sabbath, beautiful ana
talented woman, who was great so
cietv leader. She went to church be
cause that was respectable thing TO
do, and in the neighborhood where she
lived it was hardly respectable not to
90. Worldly was she to the last degree,
and all her family worldly. She had at
her house the finest germans that were
ever danced, and the costliest tavors
that were ever given, and though she
attended church she never liked to hear
anv story of pathos, and as TO religious
emotion of any kind, she thought IT
positively vulgar. Wines, cards, thea
tiers. rounds of costly gayety were to
her the highest satisfaction
One day a neighbor sent in visiting
card. and this lady came down the
stairs in tears and told the whole story
of how she had not slept for several
nights. and she feared she was going 20
lose her soul. and she wondered Il some
one would not come around and pray
with her. From that time her entire
demeanor was changed, and though she
was not called upon to sacrifice any of
her amenities of life, she consecrated
her beauty, her social position, her fam
lily. her all to God and the church and
usefulness Everybody said in regard
TO her, Have you noticed the change,
and what in the world caused it?' and
no one could make satisfactory expla-
nation
In the course Of two years, though
there was no general awakening in that
church. many such isolated cases of
such unexpected and unaccountable
conversions took place. The very peo-
pie whom no one thought would be af-
| fected by such considerations were con-
verified. The pastor and the officers Of
! the church were on the lookout for the
solution of this religious phenomenon
where is it?- they said, land who is it
and what is it?" At last the discovery
was made and all was explained A
poor cid Christian woman standing in
the vestibule of the church one Sunday
morning, trying to get her breath again
before she went up stairs to the gallery,
heard the inquiry and told the secret.
For years she had been in the habit
of concentrating all her prayers for par
| ticular persons in that church. She
would see some man or some woman
present, and, though she might not
| know the persons name, she would pray
for that person until he or she was con-
verted to God All her prayers were
for that one person-just that one. She
waited and waited for communion days
to see when the candidates for member
ship stood up whether her prayers had
! been effectueL It turned out that these
marvellous instances of conversion were
! the result of that old wOman's prayers
as she sat in the gallery sabbath by
! Sabbath. bent and wizened and poor
and unnoticed.
! A little cloud of consecrated humanity
lowering in the galleries That was
the secret place of the thunder. There
| is some hidden. unknown. mysterious
source Of almost all the moral and rell-
| rious power demonstrated Not one
out of a nillion-not one out OF ten mil
| Hon-pravers ever strike a human ear.
| On public occasions minister of rei-
| Cion voices the supplications OF an as
semblage, but the prayers Of all the
congregation are in silence. There Il
not a second in a century when prayers
are not ascending, but myriads of them
are not even as loud as whisper, for
God hears a thought as plainly as
vocalization. That silence of supplica
tion-hemispherica and perpetual-is tho
secret place of thunder
In the winter OF 1875 we were wOr
Shipping in the Brooklyn Academy o.
Music in the interregnum of churches
We had the usual great audiences, but
was oppressed beyond measure by tbs
fact that conversions were not more nu
merous, One Tuesday invited to my
house five old, consecrated Christian
men-au of them gone now, eXcep
Father Pearson. and he, in blindness
and old age, waiting for the Masters
call to come up higher.
These old men came, not knowing
; why had invited them 1 took then
, 70 the top room Of my house. said Il
them: II have called you here for spe
cial PRAYER. l am in an agony for I
: great turning to god of the people. w
have vast multitudes in attendance AIT
they are attentive and respectful, but
can not see that they are saved Let u
kneel down and each one pray and no
I leave this room until we are all assures
: that the blessing will come and ha
: come Il was a most intense crying
, unto God. l said, brethren, let TIL
/ meeting be secret" and they said /
$ would be. That Tuesday night specia
$ service ended.
On the following Friday night &C
= cured the usual prayer meeting. n
: one lnewof what had occurred on Tues
: day night, but the meeting was unusu
! ally thronged Men accustomed TO pra
5 in public in great couposure oroH
D down under emotion The people wer
! in tears There were sobs and silence
and soIemnities Of such unusual pove
: that the worshipers looked into eac
T others faces, Is much as TO say, wv ha
6 does all this mean?' And when IN
o following Sabbath came, although W
: were in q secular place, over four hur
e dred arose for prayers, and a religion
: awakening took place that made tia
] winter memorable for time and 70
eternity. There may be il this built
II. inc- many who were brought 20 Gro