Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-04-15
PRAYER FOR RULERS.
REV. DR.. TALMAeE CALLS THE Ma
TON TO ITS KNEES.


Pray For Those In Authority-HIs Plea
For the High Tide OF National Prosper
ity.
WASHINGTON, April 11.-This discourse
If DR.. Talmage, delivered before a mighty
throng, goes forth from the capital, call
ing the nation TO its knees. Before be-
ginning his sermon DR.. Talmage made an
eloquent appeal for American aid for the
uffering millions of India. Eighty mil
lions are affected by the famine, and unless
America generously comes TO the rescue
millions of lives will be sacrificed. His text
was Timothy II, /, ''I exhort, therefore,
that, first of all, supplications, prayers, in
and giving Of thanks be made
for all men, for kings and for all that are
IN authority"
That which London Is to England, Paris
to France, Berlin to Germany, Rome to
Italy, Vienna 10 Austria, St. Petersburg
bo Russia, Washington is TO the United
States republic. The people who live here
sec more Of the chief men Of the nation
than any who live anywhere else between
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. If senator,
or member of the house of representatives,
or supreme court justice, or secretary of
the cabinet, or representative of foreign
nation enters a public assembly in any
other city, his coming and going are re-
marked upon, and unusual Difference Is
paid to him. In this capital there are 80
many political chieftains IN our churches,
our streets, our halls, that their coming
and going make no excitement. The Swiss
seldom look up to the Matterhorn or Jung
frau or Mont Blanc, because those people
are used to the Alps. So we at this capital
are so accustomed to walk among noun
tains of official and political cminencc that
they are not to us great novelty. Morn
ing, noon and night we meet the giants.
But there is no place on earth where the
Importance of the Pauline injunction to
prayer for those in eminent place ought to
be better appreciated. At this time, when
our public men have before them the res
cue of our national treasury from appalling
deficits, and the Cuban question, and the
arbitration question, and in many depart
ments men are taking important positions
which are to them new and untried,
would like to quote my text with whole
tonnage of emphasis-words written by
the SCARED missionary to the young theolo-
gian Timothy, ~ exhort, therefore, that,
first of all, supplications, prayers, interces-
sions and giving of thanks be made for
all men, for kings and for all that are in
authority"
Reasons For Prayer.
If I have the time and do not forget
some of them, before l get through will
give you four or five reasons why the peo-
pie Of the United States ought to make
earnest and continuous prayer for those in
eminent place.
First, because that will put us in proper
attitude toward the successful men of the
nation. After you have prayed for man
you will do him justice. There is bad
streak in human nature that demands us
to assail those that are moro successful
than ourselves. 1t shows itself in boyhood
when the lads, ali running to get their
ride on the back of q carriage, and one
gets on, those failing to get on shout to
the driver, "Cut behind" Unsuccessful
men seldom like those who in any depart
ment are successful. The cry is, "He is a
political accidentl'' or "He bought his
way up!" or "It just happened so!' and
there is an impatient waiting for him to
come down more rapidly than he went up.
The best cure for such cynicism is prayer.
After we have risen from our knees we
will be wishing the official good instead Of
evil. Wewill be hoping for him benedictior
rather than malediction. If he makes Q
mistake, we will call it mistake instead
of malfeasance in Office. And, oh, how
much happier we will be, for wishing one
evil is diabolic, but wishing one good il
sanity, is angelic, is godlike! When the
Lord drops q man into depths beyond
which there is no lower depth, he allows
him to be put on an investigating com
mittee with the one hope of finding some
thing wrong. In general assemblies of the
Presbyterian church, in conferences of the
Methodist church, in conventions of the
Episcopal church, in house of representa-
tives and in senate of United States there
are men always glad to be appointed or
the committee of malodors, while there
are those who are glad to be put on the
committee of eulogiums. After you have
prayed, in the words of my text, for al
that are in authority, you will say, "Breth
ren, gentlemen, Mr.. Chairman, excuse mt
from serving on the committee of malo
dors, for last night, just before prayed fol
those in eminent position, I read thai
chapter in Corinthians about charity
which 'hopcth all things and 'thinketl
no evil.'" The committee of malodors /!
an important committee, but 1 here nov
declare that those are incompetent for it,
| work who have, not in spirit Of conven
tionality, but in spirit of earnest impor
| tunity, prayed for those in high position
I cannot help it, but do like st. Ber
nard better than q bloodhound, and
would rather be humming bird among
honeysuckle than a crow swooping upoI
field carcasses.
perplexit,ex OF Public Life.
,,.
Announcer reason why we snoulu pray III