The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-09-28
poEs GOD ANSWER PRAYERi
Ext acts T ON a Sermon Delivered By Rev.
Or. J W. Roseb-o at the Prc5byle.lan
Church Last SUNDAY Text,
Matthew xxgi:39.

This text is chosen because it brings W.
at once To ig 'c the great problem Of
prayer
God y promi' ia Ask aud We shall re
cciyc;' yet. We ask and receive not
Does God answer prayer? This difficulty
j. presented To us in the most llustriOus
example possibc-the Son of God Dim
seh He asked that the cup might pass,
yet must lie drink it to the bitter dress
What burlen OF unanswered pravers
Fathers F1d mothers have prayc and
died without the answer We're not Lee
aud in 'kson, Johnston aud Hill men %
prayer aud consccratpd faith Yet the
cause TO- which ,ey prayed went down
IN blood aud defeat
Never have there been 40 many prayers
| offered at one tine a. from Sept q To
Sept I assembled for President Mckin-
ley, 1t was an inspiring spectacle to see
whole nation kneeing before God IA
suppiiunis. En- dcst aud sincere wee our
supp catiOns-we il the South just as
tiull 50 a. - any section Of the lana.
A~oand the bulletin boprd SOu,hcih sol
dicrs 1d the Sons Of Southern soldiers
gather II. aud with sad e. 'es aud tI1e
sol row read the tidirgs that told Of re
ebb'lg away.
We had learned To respect hin M just
man ru' pg in the tcarof God; we believed
n his si nee, ity in his desire to see IA really
uritrd county: we rejOircd ~ his Chris
tan home, - his knight devotion to
his wife Nncn ne was stricken down we
forud that we loved HIN
Yet with the best medical skill hedied
t,..
answer *, prayer ava's nothing Many
would say il was wasted breath You
remember rs adnl's prayer test
Some would t." us, you may pray for
spiritdal blessings. but it * useless op-ay
Tor physical that natures laws cannot
! be- changed. No need to pray for the sick;
disease can only be- cured by medicine.
No need to pray Tor rein when drought IL
parch'pg the ec th no need 10 pray that
rnius may cease. God made Ills universe
80 wisely there il no room for prayer.
His laws are fAcl and Interchangeable.
In answer To this view consider the
'acli1go james v: lj-l1 James asse' Is
that ieryent. cnectual prayer ayo''s
much. that the prayer OF faith shall save
| the sick that Elias, "A man Of ike pas
sions with us. prayed earnestly that 1t
might not rain aud it rained not, aad he
prayed again end the heavens gave. an.
The Holy SPIT put that truth m the
Bible 10 overthrow utterly the false
teaching of men.
WHAT was God + object ~ creating this
world Was il TO show lie was n good
mechanic? No; it was 10 I'LL il with intel
ligent beings. whose needs and desires
are more TO Hin than any Jaw OF nature.
II Gods object was simply To produce
the most cola or potatoes He would not
send too much rain. but His purpose il
TO tea n NJ our dependence on Him and
that man Hyeth not by bread alone
l. What * the tue I'm of prayer? To
make God do what we wish2 To wOlfy
II n by our opportunity into granting
our requests az spotted children may I'M
" Sc pa rents? Nay that were folly for the
wise pa-elt to yield to the foolish child.
IL must produce chaos God is too wise
to err, 700 good To be unk'1d.
de obj,tt OF prayer Is To bring NJ to
God wiz Jesus prayed, Not my will. '
We pray because we must. because the
burdent hea needs the ~ npathy and
help.
>. God answers prayer by -c'using the
rtquest, but giving what il better. The
cup did not pass from Jesus. How great
the loss 10 H'n aud the world had it
been giant !. How rich us glo. and
reward that lledrapk the bitter cup and
lcemed HIS word and saved a world
Eliiah PRAYED that he might die in n
Z ne Of deep de pondency, but God made
b n I've for great work, then ride TO
glory ~ che lot OF fire.
Paul PRAYED TO be deliver d from the
Thorn in his flesh. The thoIh TemF ned,
but God filed his heart with pea @ md
Joy ond ir'l 'sura1cel
\ son about 10 sta Tin the world asks.
Father give me the pOI ton OF goods
that a'leth To me" The sc father d
r'c.. eise there j. lin end beggaiy. lie
gives what's bet r.his counsel P1d guild
? zee and help when m led.
Has not God called this whole nation
to holt in it, 4 d and forget. I'ness OF
H'm? Never perhaps before has the
whole people b IN soarousod TO high and
holy things. The Presidents sick cham
Der has been N exalted pulpit and re
preG he'd noble sermon before p"
lsr3 j. ! .le, the impression WI not
last Neither do the words OF Cm site
pa tnts or of gospel preachers. But
these ere impressions that make char
acter.
Never before has the ruin Of atheistic
pt nciples been more ine-cusably and hOr
i,blv mapHes 4. The res Ii of these
principles is ever the same. In the sto. ..
OF tine Unjust Judge, it is said He
icl'td not Cod, neither regarded man"
This may thus be justly put: he feared
not God. therefore, he regarded not man.
I nat is the character isl ic of atheistic SIN.
los tender me cies are cruel. Throwing
off fear OF Gods laws it tramples on
mans rights. The story of its wrongs
aud opp 'ssiOn are wlilIan with the
blood of noble sufferers. Ii regards not
the tears and woes OF men. PharOah
AL I'd who is the Lord that | should fear
+ IN, and the grOams and suifcr,ngs Of
lsreel 0-e the result.
Never was the n ii Ofhaving this land
filed with God-fearing people more en-
phesized Neverdid atheism o nj religion
stand is sharper contrast, than n tine
atheistic anarchist and in the dying
President, breathing forgiveness on his
IlNTutItls uuu HuOnfhE II hhiAiaNA -,
Ist in God.
O! hank God He LnOws how to answer
orr pray gers, though he denies the request.
He knows how to give good gifts to His
children.
81 He has solved it, rfe's wonderful
problem,
The deepest, the strongest the last,
Aud into the school OF the angels
With the answer, forever has passed.
How strange, that in spite OF our ques-
tiOning
lie maketh no answer, nor te"s
Why so soon were LIES hOnoring laurels
Dispeled by Gods immol ,elles
How strange he should sleep so pro-
foundly,
SO young, so unwOrn by the strife,
While beside him, brimfnl of LIES nectar
Untouched stands the goblet of 'fe
Men sleep IKE that when the evening
OF a lone. dreary day droppeth down,