The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-11-15
praying. When Stonewall wants us to

march, he looks at us soberly. lust as
II he were sorry for us, and says,
Men, we have got to make a long
march, We always know when there
is going to be long march and right
smart fighting, for Stonewall is power
full on prayer just before a big fight"
When Stonewall Jackson was asked
the meaning OF the passage, instant
In prayer" he said: III you will not
mistake and think am setting myself
up as an example, which am not,
will give an illustration from my own
habit have so fixed the habit OF
prayer in my mind that I never raise
glass OF water to my lips without /;
moments asking of Gods blessing.
never seal letter without putting
word OF prayer under the SEAL l never
take a letter from the post without q
brief sending of my thoughts heaven
ward. never change my classes IN
the section room without minutes
petition for the cadets who go out AMI
those who come in" Don't you
sometimes forget?" said friend. Hs
replied: Il think l can say that
scarcely do. The habit has become
almost as fixed as breathing" But"
says some one from a different section
Of the country from that in which
General Jackson lived, were his pray
ers answered." Yes, as earnest pray
ers are always answered, in Gods way,
which is often quite different from
NAME md nJ, &c. o1u
the hest way, while our way may b.
the wrong way.
John Newton's Prayer.
In all the tossing of this life lay hold
OF the rope Of prayer mentioned by
John Newton, who was converted on
shipboard from being a blasphemous
sailor to become a great preacher Of
righteousness and who said: When |
first amused myself with going to sea,
when the winds rose and the waves
became rough, I tumbled and tossed
about Like a porpoise in the water. At
last caught hold of rope that was
floating about, and then was enabled
to stand upright. So when in prayer
multitude Of troublous thoughts in
wade your peace, or when the winds
and waves of temptation arise, look,
out for the rope, lay hold of the rope
and stay yourselves on the faithful
| ness of God keeping his promises"
My hearer, will tell you the time
when you can afford to cease praying
1t will be when you have no sins tt
be pardoned, no sorrows to be COM
forted, no more friends or foes who
need your intercession. Queen Eliza
beth said to Walter Raleigh, Raleigh,
when will you stop begging?" Raleigh
replied, When your majesty leaves off
giving" And your time, my hearer,
to stop prayer will be when God has
no more pardon and mercy and
strength to bestow and the resources
OF the Infinite are exhausted. Have
lock knew the value of prayer when he
arose at 4 o'clock in the morning for
his devotions. The soldiers of the
Fourteenth Massachusetts regiment
showed that they knew the joy of
worship when they took delegate off
the Christian commission to see what
they called their praying place"
Now, if God has during these re-
marks shown us the uses, the import
ance, the blessedness of prayer, sup
pose we try to do what Job did when
he prayed for his exasperators. Many
of us at the beginning Of this subject
felt that, while we could pray for our
selves and pray for those who were
| kind IN nc uyo oh
high point Of religious experience in
which we could pray for those who an
noy us and make us feel worse in
stead of feeling better. That was q
Matterhorn, that was an Alp, to the
top of which we feared we could
never climb, but we thank God that
by his omnipotent grace we have
reached that height at last Let us
pray! Christ, who didst pray for
thine assassins, we now pray for those
who despitefully use us and say all
manner of evil against us. For their
eternal salvation we supplicate. Whel.
time is no more, may they reign on
thrones and wear coronets and sway
scepters of heavenly dominion. Mean
WuiIt lake Lue Dlll6IueSS from llelr
soul and make them soon think as
well of us as now they think evil.
Spare their bodies from pain and their
households from bereavement. After
all the misunderstanding and contro-
VERSES of this life are over, may we
keep with them eternal jubilee in the
mansions on the hill. And as thou
didst turn the captivity of Job when
he had prayed for those who badly
used him and health came to his body
and prosperity to his estate, now that
we have by thy grace been able to
make supplication for our antagonists.
| cure our diseases if we are i'll, and
restore our estate if it has scattered,
and awaken gladness in our home
steads if they have been bereft, and
turn the captivity of our physical pain
| or financial misfortune OF mental dis
| tress. And thine shall be the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever
and ever Amen.
For Burns and Bruises.
Il