The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-23

80 ~ ~
looks at US soberiy. just as IL he were
sorry for US. and says. Men. we have
got to make 4 long march We always
know when there is going to be a long
march and right smart fighting. for
Stonewall h powerful on prayer just
before a bis fight" When Stonewall
was asked the of the
passage, instant in aye he said:
If you viii not mistake n think
am setting myself up as an example,
which i am not, 1 will give an illustra-
ton from my own habit. / have so fix
ed the habit Of prayer in my mind that
L never raise a glass of water TO my
lips without a moments asking OF
Gods blessing. / never seal a letter
without putting a word OF prayer un-
der the seal. / never take a letter from
the pest without a brief sending of my
thoughts ~heavenward. / lever change
my classes in the section room without
a minutes petition for the cadets who
go out and those who come n" Don't
You sometimes forget?" said a friend.
He replied: II think I can say hat /
scarcely do. The habit a become al
most as fixed as breathing" But"
says some n from 4 different section
of the country from that in which Gen
eral Jackson lived. were his prayers
answered." Yes, as earnest prayers
are always answered. in Gods way,
which is often quite different from
mans a and Gods way is always
the beS-, while our way may be the
wrong way.
JOHN MENTIONS PRAYER
In all the tossing of his 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 II who said: When l
first amused myself with going to sea.
when the winds rose and the wave
became rough, l tumbled and tossed
about like a porpoiSe II the water. At
last 1 caught hold of a rope that was
floating about, n then l was enabled
to stand upright. So when in prayer d
multitude of troublous thoughts invade
your peace, or when the winds and
waves of temptation arise, look out for
h rope. lay hold of the rope and stay
yourselves on the faithfulneSS Of God,
keeping his promises"
My nearer, 1 will tell you the time
when you can afford to cease praying.
1t will be when o tave no sins to be
pardoned, no sorrows to be comforted.
no more friends or foes who need your
intercessions. Queen Elizabeth said to
Walter Raleigh, Raleigh, when will
you stop begging?" Raleigh replied,
when your majesty leaves off Civ
ing" And your time, my hearer, to
stop prayer will be when COO a no
more pardon and mercy and strength
to bestow and the resources of the in
finite are exhausted. Havelock knew
the value of praye when he arose at 4
o'clock in the morning for his devo-
lions. The soldiers of the Fourteenth
Massachusetts regiment showed that
they knew the joy Of worship when
they o a delegate of the Christian
commission to see what they called
their praying place
Now, if God has during these re-
marks shown us the uses, the impOr-
lance, 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 to us, we never could reach the
high point of religious experience in
which we could pray for those who
annoy is and make us feel worse in
stead of feeling better. That was a
M~atterhorn, 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! o Christ,
who didSt pray for thine aSSassins, we
now r for those who despitefully
use us and say all name of evil
SollL u.s. fol IIICll L Soi
we supplicate. When time is no more,
may they reign on thrones and wear
coronetS n sway ScepterS of heaven
ly dominion. Meanwhile take the bit
terness from their soul and max them
soon think as we'll of us as now they
think evil. Spare their bodies from pain
and their households from bereave-
ment. After all the misunderstanding
and controversies 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 bad
ly used him and health came to his
body and prosperity to his estsse. now
that We nave by thy grace been able
to make supplication for our antago-
nists, cure our diseases If We are i'll.
and restore our estate if it has scat
tered, and awaken gladness in our
homesteads if they have been bereft,
and turn captivity of our physical
pain or financial misfortune or mental
DISTRESS. And thine shall be the king
dom n the power and the glory for-
ever and ever, Amen.
Copyright, 1900. Louis Klopsch. N. y