The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-09-28

SuSH' Inc DIedtu Oh EIlJdnS prayer
blew all the clouds together, and it was
wet weather. Prayer. in Daniels time.
walked the cave as a lion tanner. 1t
up and took the sun by its gol-
den bit and stopped 1t and the moon by
its silver bit n stopped it.
We have all yet to try the full power
OF prayer. The time will come when
the American church will ray with its
face toward the west. and all h prai-
ries and inland cities will surrender to
God and will ray with face toward the
sea, and all the islands and ships will
become Christian. Parents who have
wayward sons will get down on their
knees and say. Lord, send my boy
home" and the boy in Canton will get
right up from the gambling table and
go down to find out which ship starts
first for America.
NONE KNOWS HOW TO PRAY.
Not one OF us yet knows how to pray.
All We have done as yet has only been
pottering. A boy gets hold OF his faith
er's saw and hammer and tries to make
something, but 1t Is a poor affair that
he makes. The father comes and takes
the same saw and hammer n builds
the house or the ship. In the child
hood Of Jul Christian faith We make
but poor work with these weapons Of
prayer, but when we come to the stat
ure of men in Christ Jesus then, under
these implements, the temple Of God
will rise and the worlds redemption
will be launched. God cares not for
the length Of our prayers, or the num-
Der Of our prayers, or the beauty OF u
prayers, or the place Of our prayers,
but it is the faith in them that tells.
Believing prayer scars higher than the
opk aNya conO pl11nOQC 6Qonor than
diving bell yer sank, darts quicker
than lightning eve flashed. Though
we have used only the C Of this
weapon instead Of the edge, what mar
wells ave been wrought! If saved, we
are all the captiveS Of some earnest
prayer. Would God that, in desire for
the rescue of souls, we might in prayer
lay hold Of the of the Lord
Omnipotent!
We may urn many to Righteousness
by Christian admonitiOR Do not wait
until you can make a formal speech.
Address the one next to you. You will
not go home alone t-day. Between this
and your place Of stopping you may de-
eide the eternal destiny Of an immortal
spirit. Just one sentence may do the
work, just one question, just n look.
The formal talk that begins with a sigh
and ends with a canting shuttle is not
what is wanted. but the heart throb Of
a man in dead earnest. There is not a
soul on earth that you may not bring to
God if you rightly go at it. They said
Gibralter could not be taken. 1t is a
rock 1000 feet high and 8 miles long.
but the English and Dutch did take it.
Artillery and sappers and miners and
fleets pouring out volleys Of death and
thousands of men reckless of danger
can do anything. The stoutest heart Of
sin, though it be rock Inc surrOuded by
an ocean of transgressiOn, under Chris
tan bombardment may hoist the flag
Of redemption.
But is all this admonition and prayer
and Christian work for nothing? My
text promises to all the faithful eternal
luster. "They that turn many to right
eousness shall shine as the star forev-
err" A star the redeemed have a bor-
rowed light. What mak Mars and We
nus and Jupiter SO luminous? Whenth
sun throws down his torch in the heav-
ems, the stars pick up the scattered
brands and hold them in procession as
the queen of the night advances. So all
Christian workers, standing around the
throne, will shine in the light borrowed
from the Sun Of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
in thei. faces, Jesus in their songs, Je-
sus in their triumph.
TO SHINE ON FOREVER.
Christ left heaven once for a tour Of
redemption IN earth, yet the glorifed
ones knew he would come back again.
But let him abdicate his throne and go
away to stay forever, the music would
stop, the congregation would disperse,
the temples Of God be darkened, the
rivers of life stagnate, and every char
would become a hearse, and every
bell would toll. N there would not be
room on the hillsides to bury the dead
the great metropolis. for there would
be pestilence in heaven. But Jesus
lives, and so all the redeemed live with
He shall recognize them as his
in earthly toll and remember
what they did for the honor Of his
name and for the spread of his king
dom. All their prayers and tears and
work will rise before him as he look
into their faces, and he will divide his
kingdom with them-his peace, their
peace; his holiness, their holiness; his
JOY, their JOY. The glory Of the central
throne reflected from the surrounding
thrones, the last spot of sin struck
nature a-tremble and a-fash with
light, they shall shine as the stars for
ever and yer
Again, Christian workers shall be
like the stars in the fact that they have
a light inadequate Of each other. Look
up at the night and see each world
show it's distinct glory. It is not like
the conflagration, in which you cannot
tell where one flame stops and another
begins. Neptune, Herschel and Mer-
Jury are as distinct as if each one of
them were the only star. So our indi-
vidualism will not be lost in HEAVIER. A
great multitude-yet each one as OBJ
.servable, as ~distinctively recognized, as
greatly celebrated, Ii if in all the
space, from gate to gate and from hill
to hill, he were the only inhabitant-
no mixing up, no mob, no indiscrimi-
nate rush. each Christian worker stand
ing out illustrious, all the story Of
earthly achievement adhering to each
me-, his self denials and pains and SER
vices and victories published.
Before men went out to the last war
the orators told them that they would
all be remembered by their country and
their names be commemorated in poe
try and in song. But go to the grave
yard in Richmond, and you will find
thoro 6 000 graves over each of which