The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-16
PRAYER FOR RULERS.
REV. DIR. TALMAGE CALLS THE
NATION TO IT'S KNEES.
He Gives Many Reasons Why We should
Pray For Those In Authority-His Plea
For the High Tide of National Prosper
fv

FOR the ftisu Iiuc u NdtIOHal IEtrptT-
ity.
This discourse of DR.. Talmage, delivered
before a mighty throng, goes forth from
the capital, calling the nation to its knees.
Before beginning his sermon DR.. Talmage
made an eloquent appeal for American
aid for the suffering millions of India.
Eighty millions are affected by the
famine, and unless America generously
comes to the rescue millions of lives will
be sacrificed. His text was / Timothy ii,
/, Il exhort. therefore, that, first Of all.
supplications, prayers. intercessions 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 to Austria, St. Petersburg
to Russia. Washington is to the United
States republic. The people who live here
see more Of the chief men of the nation
than any who live anywhere else between
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. If a senator
or member Of the house of representa-
tives, or supreme court justice, or secre-
tary of the cabinet, or representative of
foreign nation enters Il public assembly
in any other.city, his coming and going
are remarked upon, and unusual defer
enr is paid to him. In this capital there
are so many political chicftains in our
churches, our streets, our halls, that their
coming ana going make no excitement.
The Swiss seldom lock up to the Matter
horn or Jungfrau or Mont Blanc, because
those people are used to the Alp So we
at this capital are so accustomed to walk
among mountains of official and political
cmincnce that they are not to US Il great
novelty. Morning, noon and night we
meet the giants. But there is no place on
earth where the importance of the Pau
line injunction to prayer for those in
eminent place ought to be better APP
preciated. At this time, when our public
men have before them the rescue of our
national treasury from appalling deficits,
and the Cuban question. and the arbitra-
ton question:, and in many departments
men are taken important positions which
are to them new and untried, would
like to quote my text with a whole tom
mage of emphasis-words written by the
SCARED missionary to the young theolo-
gian Timothy, 81 exhort, therefore,, that,
cessions and giving of thanks be made
for all men. for the kings and for all that
are in authority
REASONS FOR PRAYER.
If I nave the time and do not forget
some of them, before / get through | will
give you four or five reasons why the
people of the United Staes 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 a man
you will do him justice. There is a bad
streak in human nature that demand
us to asSail those that are more sue
ccssful than ourselves. 1t shows itself
in boyhOOd when the lads, ali inning
to get their ride on the back of q car
riage, and one gets on, those failing to
get on shout to the driver. cut behind!'
Unsuccessful men seldom like those who
in any department are successful. The
cry is. II is n political accidcnt!' or He
bought his way up!' or at just happened
so!' and there is an impatient waiting for
him to come down more apidly than he
went up. The best cure for such cyni-
cism is prayer. After we have risen from
our knees we will be wishing the official
good instead of evil. We will be hoping
fer him benediction rather than malcdic-
ton. If he makes a mistake, we will
call it "a mistake instead of malfeasance
in office. And, OH, how much happier We
will be. for wishing one evil is diabolic,
but wishing one good is SANITY, is angelic,
is gOGlike! When the Lord drops d man
into depths beyond which there is no
lower depth, he allows him to be put on
an Investigating committee with the one
hope of finding something wrong. In gen.
eral assemblies of the Presbyterian
church, in conferences of the Methodist
church, in conventions of the Episcopal
church, in house of representatives and
in senate of the United States there are
men always glad to be appointed on the
committee of malodors, while there are
mittee, OF cuioglums. Alter you nave
prayed, in the words of my text, for all
that are in authority; you VIII say
cuse me from serving on the committee
of malodors, for last night, just before |
prayed for those in eminent position, l
charity which 'hOpeth all things and
hinkcth no evil The committee of
malod6rs is an important committee, but
I here now declare hat those are incom-
petent for its work who have, not in spirit
of conventionality. but in spirit of earnest
Importantly, prayed for those in high po-
siticn. | cannot help it, but | do like a
St. Bernard better than a bloodhound.
and I would rather be a humming bird
among honeysuckle than a crow swoop-
ing upon field carcasses.
PERPLENITIES OF PUBLIC LIFE.
Another reason why we should pray for
those in eminent place is because they
nave such multiplied perplexities. This
city at this time holds hundreds of men
United States mail bags, as never before,
are full of applications. Let me say ]
have no sympathy with either the uttered
or printed sheer at what are called office
seekers" If l --ad not already received
appointment as minister plenipotentiary
from the high court of heaven-as every
my back a family for whom 1 wished to
achieve a livelihood, there is no employer
whose service / would sooner seek than
city, state or United States government.
Those governments are the promptest in
their payments. paying just as we'll In
hard times as in good times and during
summer vacation as during winter work
Besides that, many of us have been pay
ing taxes to city and state and nation fol
years, and while we are indebted for the
protection of government, the government
is indebted to us for the honest support
we have rendered it. So 1 wish success
10 all earnest and competent men who
appeal to city or state or nation for q
place to work. But how many men ir
high place in city and state and nation
are at their wits end to know what to do
when for some places there are ten APP
plicants and for others a hundred! Per
pleXities arise from the fact that citizens
sign petitions without reference to the
qualifications of the applicant for the
places applied for. You sign the applica-
tion because the applicant is your friend
People sometimes want that for which
they have no qualifications, as we heal
people sing Il want to be an angel.
when they offer the poorest material posi-
siblc for angelhood-boors waiting to be
sent to foreign palaces as ambassadors
and men without any business Qualifica-
ton wanting to be consuls to foreign
ports, and illiterates. capable in one letter
of wrecking all the laws of photography
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