The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-12

the way that she hopes for. will do it in
the best way. and though she asked me
for a sheet Of music, / will not give II TO
her for | do not like the music spoken Of;
but l will send her a deed to A house and
lot TO be hers forever" SO God does not
in all cases answer in the way those who
sent the prayer hoped for, but he in all
cases gives what is asked for or something
better So prayers went up from the
north and the south at the time of our
civil war, and they were all answered at
Gettysburg. You cannot make me believe
that God answered only the northern pray
ers, for there were just as devout prayers
answered south of Mason and
Dixops line as north of 1t. and God gave
what was asked for, or something as much
more valuable, as a house and lot are
worth more than a sheet of music. There
is not a good and intelligent man between
the Gulf of Mexico and the St. Lawrence
river, who does not believe that God did
the best thing possible when he stood this
nation down in 1865 a glorious unity, never
TO be rent until the waters of the Ohio and
the Savannah. the Hudson and the Ala
bama, are licked up by the long, red
tongues of a world on fire. Yea! God
sometimes answers prayers on a large
scale. In worse predicament nation never
was than the Israelitish nation on the
banks of the Red sea, the rafting shields
ing host close after them. An army could
just as easily wade through the Atlantic
ocean, from New York to Liverpool, as
the Israelites could have waded through
the Red sea. You need to sail on its
waters to realize how big it is. How was
the crossing effected? BY prayer. Exodus
l4:15: And the Lord said unto Moses,
Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak
unto the children OF Israel that they go
forward" That is, stop praying and
take the answer" And then the waters
began to be agitated and swung this way
and that way, and the ripple became
billoW, and the bilow climbed other bill
lows, and now they rise into walls of
sapphire, and invisible trowels mason
them into firmness, and the walls become
like mountains, topped and turreted and
domed with crags of crystal, and God
throws an invisible chain around the feet
of those mountains, so that they are OBJ
liged TO stand still, and there, right be-
fore the Israelitish army. is a turnpike
road, with all the emerald gates swung
wide open The passing host did not even
get their feet wet. They passed dry-shod
the bottom of the sea. as hard as the
pavement of Pennsylvania avenue. or New
Yorks Broadway. or London's Strand.
Oh What a God they had! or I think
will change that. and say. What a God
we haver'
What power put it's hands upon astron-
omy in Joshua's time and made the sun
and moon stand still? Joshua 1912: Then
spake Joshua unto the Lord" Prayer! AS
giant will take two or four great globes.
and in astounding way swing them this
way or that, or hold two of them at arms
length, so the Omnipotent does as he will
with the great orbs of worlds, with wheel
ing consultations and circling galaxies,
swinging easily star around star star toss
ed after star, or sun and moon held out
-
answer to Joshua's prayer. To God the
largest world is a pebble.
Another reason why we should obey the
Pauline injunction of the text and pray
for all that are in authority is, that so
very much Of our own prosperity and hap
piness are involved in their doings. A self
ish reason, you say. Yes, but righteous
selfshness like that which leads you to
take care of your own health, and preserve
your own life. Prosperous government
means a prosperous people. Damaged
government means a damaged people. We
all go up together or we all go down to-
gether. When we pray for our rulers we
pray for ourselves, for our homes for the
easier gaining of a livelihood, for better
prospects for our children, for the hurting
of these hard times so far down the en-
bankment, they can never climb up again.
Do not look at anything that pertains to
public interest as having no relation to
yourself We are touched by all the events
in our national history, by the signing of
the compact in the cabin of the Mayflower,
by the small ship. the Half-Moon, sailing
up the Hudson, by the treaty of William
Penn, by the hand that made the liberty
belr' sound its first stroke, by Old Iron
sides blowing the high seas. And If touch
ed by all the events of past America, GER
tainly by all the events of the present day.
Every prayer you make for our rulers, If
the prayer be of the right stamp and
worth anything, has a rebound of bene-
diction for your own body, mind and soul.
Another reason for obedience to my text
is that the prosperity of this country is
coming, and we want hand in helping
on it's coming; at any rate l do 1t Is a
matter of honest satisfaction to a soldier,
after some great battle has been fought,
and some great victory won, TO be able
TO say: Yes. / was there. l was in the
brigade that stormed those nights. l
was in that bayonet charge that put the
enemy into fiightv' Well, the day will
come when all the financial, political and
moral foes of this republic will be
driven back and driven down by the
properties that are now on their way,
but which come with slow tread and with
fatigue dress" when we want them to
take 1.-THE double quick" By our prayers
we may stand on the montain top and
beckon them on, and show them a shorter
cut Yea, in answer to our prayers the
Lord God of hosts may from the high
heavens command them forward swifter
than mounted troops ever took the field at
Eylau or Austerlitz. In 1872 Holland was
assailed. Her people prayed nightly. The
ships OF her enemies waited for the high
tides on which to come in. In an
swer to their prayers offered the tide, as
never before, was detained twelve hours,
and before that twelve hours had passed
a hurricane swoopee upon the enemies
ships and destroyed them. and Holland
was saved. If God detained the high
tide in answer TO prayer, will he not
hasten 1t in answer to prayer? Surely 1t
has been low tide long enough. May the
Lord hasten the high tide of national well
fare American citizens our best hold is
on God. We have all seen families in
prayer. and churches in prayer. What we
want yet to see is this whole nation on
its knees.
The most of them are dead; those who in
1851 moved in that procession that march
ed from the city han of Washington, down
Louisiana avenue to Seventh street, and
then through Pennsylvania avenue to the
north gate of yonder capitol, to lay the
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