Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-01-29

kneit Ia prayer. and then y 3 and said to
he inhdsl, "Now you pray.' The iniidel re-
oied, Il cannot pray. 1 have no God to
array to Let me go! Let me gon' The
spectators, vino expected fun, found moth.
log but overpowering solemnity, and q re-
rival starts3. and among the first who were
brought in was the infldel. That PRAYER did
L. In all our lives there have been times
when We fe that prayer was answered. Their
ct us say so.
There fingers on this side Of the river that
aivides earth and heaven, ready at any time
% cross over. the apostle of prayer for this
century, Jeremiah Calvin Lanphier, the
founder OF the Fulton street prayer meeting,
and II he should put on his spectacles and
:ead this salute him more qualified than
any man since Bible times in demonstrating
what prayer can do. Dear Brother Lam
ohier! The hign heavens are full of his
anne. Having announced q meeting for II
Iclock, September 23, 1857, he sat In the
upper room on Fulton street, New YORK.
waiting for people to come He waited for
half hour. and then q football WAS heard
IN the steps, and after awhile In all six per-
IONS arrived, but the next day twenty, and
he next day forty and from that time to this,
or over thiry-eight years, every day, Sab
oath excepted, that Fulton street prayer
Meeting has been place where people have
isked prayer and answers to prayer have
Deen announced, and the throb Of that great
heart of supplication has thrilled not only
nto the heavens. but clear around the W orid,
more than any spot on earth. That has been
he place where the red eemed of the Lord
said so!
Let the same outspoken ness be employed
Oward those by whom We have been person.
lily advantaged. We wait until they are
lead before We say 30. Your parents have
planned for your best interests all these
rears. They may sometimes, their nervous
Iystem used up by the cares, the losses. the
iisappointments, the worriments of lfe be
more irritable than they ought to be, and
hey probably have faults which have be-
:ome oppressive as the years go by. But
hose eyes, long before they took on spec
acles, were watching for your welfare, and
heir hands, not as smooth and much more
ieeply lined than once. have done for
you many a good days work. Life has been
o them more OF a struggle than you will
,ver know about, and much of the struggle
las been for you, and how much they are
wrapped upin your welfare you will never
appreciate.
Have you by word or gift or behavior ex-
ressed your thanks? Or II you cannot quite
get up to say it face to face, have you written
in some holiday salutation? The time will
loon pass, and they will be gone out of your
light, and their ears will not hear, and their
,yes will not see. If you owe tnem any
tindness of deed or any words of apprecia-
ion, why do you not say 50! How much
ye might all of US save ourselves in the
natter of regrets If we did not delay until
90 late an expression OF obligation that
would have made the last years of earthly
ife more attractive. The grave Is deaf, and
,pitaphs on cold marble cannot make re-
,aration.
In conjugal life the honeymoon Ia soon
past, and the twain take 1t for granted that
each is thoroughly understood. How depen.
lent on each other they become, and the
years go by, and perhaps nothing is said to
make the other fully understand that sense
II dependence. Impatient words sometimes
,ome forth. and motives are misinterpreted.
and it is taken as a matter Ct course that the
:wo will walk the path of life side by side
until about the same time their journey shall
De ended but somN sudden and appalling ill.
1ess unloosens the right hands that were
.lasped years ut before the altar OF orange
blossoms, the parting takes place, and among
he worst Of all the sorrows Is that you did
aot oftener, II you ever did at all, tell her OF
:ell him how Indispensable she was or how
Indispensable he was to your happiness, and
hat in some plain, square talk long ago you
aid not ask for forgiveness for inflrmities
and negiects, and by some unlimited utter
ince make it understood that you fully ap-
oreciated the fidelity and reinforcement OF
many years. Alas, how many such have to
ament the rest Of their lives, "Oh, II had
anly said sou
Ny subject takes a wider range The Loro
las hundreds of thousands of people among
hose who have never joined His army be-
.ause of some high ideal of what a Christian
should be or because of a fear that they may
lot hold out or because of spirit of pro-
.rastination. They have never publicly
orofessed Christ. They have as much right
20 the sacraments and IS much right to all
he privileges of the church rs thousands
who have for years been enrolled in church
membership, and vet they have made no
positive utterance by which .the world may
know they love God and are on the road to
heaven. They are redeemed of the Lord and
yet do not say so. Oh. what an augmenra-
ion it would be il by some divine impulse
all those outsiders should become insiders.
:ell you what would bring them to their
right places, and perhaps nothing else will
lays Of persecution. II they were compelled
to take sides as between1Christ ana His enc
mics, they would take the side OF Christ, and
the fagots and the instruments OF torture
would not make them blanch. Martyrs are
made out Of such stun as they are. But let
them not wait for such days as pray to God
may never come. Drawn by the sense OF
fairness and justice and obligation. let them
show their colors. Let the redeemed Of the
Lord say so.
This chapter from which take my tex,
mentions several classes of persons who
ought to be outspoken, among them all those
who go on a journey. What an opportunity
you have, you who spend 80 much Of your
time on rail trains or on shipboard, whether
ON lake or river or sea. Spread the glory OF
Gods goodness and your own redemption
wherever you go. You will have many q
long ride beside some one whom you will
never see again. some one who is waiting for
ono word OF rescue or consolation. Make
every rail trainsand steamer a moving palace
of saved souls. Casual conversations have
harvested a great host for God.
There are many Christian workers in pull
pits, In mission stations, Sabbath schools, in
anheard Of places who are doing their best
FOR God and without any recognition. They
go and come, and no one cheers them. Per-
haps all the reward they get Is harsh critic
ism, or rep1lse, or their own fatigue. II you
have ever heard of any good they have done,
let them know about 1t. If you find some
ono benefited by their aims, or their pray yers,
or their cheering word, go and tell them.
They may be almost ready to give Up their
mission. They may be almost in despair be-
cause OF the seeming lack of results. One
word from you may be an ordination that
will start them on the chief work of their
lifetime. Christian woman said to her
pastor. My usefulness Is done. do not
Know why my life is spared any longer, be-
cause can do no good" Then the pastor
replied. ''You do me great good every Sab
)ath.' She asked: How do l do you any
yood?" and he replied: sin the first place,
|
and that helps me, and in the seconi p!a g
sou are always wide awake and alert, look
ng right up into my face. and that helps me,
and III the third place often see .ears run
1ing down your checks. and that helps me-.
What a good thing he did not wait until shs
was dead before ne said so!
There are hundreds of ministers who have
lard work to make sermons because no one
| Expresses any appreciation. They are afraic!
of making him vain. The moment tho
tenediction is pronounced they turn on thei,
| heels and go out. Perhaps it was a subjec,
IN which he had put especial pains. b
| ought for the right text, and then did hts
,est to put the old thought into some new
| hape. He had prayed that 1t might 60 to
| he hearts OF the people. He had added to
he argument the most vivid illustrations he
,ould think OF. He had delivered all with
4, power that left him nervouslv exhausted d..
five hundred people may have been blessed
" it and resolved upon a higher life and
iobler purposes. Yet all he hears is the
| flank of the pew door, or the shufiing Of
eet in the aisle, or some remark about the
| Weather, the last resort of inanity. Why