Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-11-09

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mother had a maynard boy who had |
run away to sea and was at that time
In an Asiatic port This mother care
fully studied the Bible and came to the
conclusion that she had right to ask |
for the salvation of her boy and that |
she would then and there throw the
burden of his salvation upon Christ.
She went to her room, after giving
word that under no condition was she
10 be interrupted. Then she opened
the Bible, laid it upon a chair and
knelt down. Then she began to pray
for the. salvation of that boy. She
said: 20 God, Jesus has said that if
| ask anything in his name thou wilt
grant my request. | am going to stay
here pleading upon my knees for the
salvation. IF my child until thou hast
given to me the sweet consciousness
that he is saved She stayed there
from until Z, until s. 9 until 10. 10
until IL until o'clock in the morning
that woman stayed. Then she arose
from her knees and said, "My Heavenly
Father, thou hast answered my
prayer" "At that very time" said the
evangelist, 1.-The boy in the foreign port
was convicted of sin and sent letter
home to his mother that he had given
his heart to Christ" But as l after
ward began to ponder over the story,
in the light of the Scriptures and of
personal history, l came to the conclu-
sion that that story was true or at
least by gospel promise could be true.
We have a right to ask for the saliva
| ton of our loved ones. And if we ask
and plead faithfully and truly God
will answer our prayers.
Oh, that we might, one and all. here
and now. enter into a holy conspiracy
! of prayer for the salvation of our loved
ones! This was the way a great re-
vival wave was started in one of my
old churches. 1t was by Christian peo-
pie, members of that church. getting to-
gether week after week and praying
for distinct individuals. 1t was in this
way that my grandmother and grand
father were converted. Some of you
may have heard the wonderful story
written by the pen or spoken by the
lips of my father. 1t was by a COM
pany of earnest and fearful mothers
gathering together at a certain time of
the day in the barns to pray for the
salvation of their children until scores
and hundreds stood up in the little vii
lage church of Somerville to confess
Christ. and the whole region was moved
by the power of the Holy Ghost. 1t is
by a conspiracy of prayer that re-
vival can always be started and our
loved ones swept into the kingdom by
a tidal wave of mercy.
Efficacy of Prayer.
The great trouble with the Christian
church as whole and with Christians
as individuals is that we have broken
away from the old anchorage of gospel
truth. We have lost faith in God that
he is able to do all things; we have
lost faith in prayer; we have lost faith
in the power of the Holy Ghost. And
the great mission of the Christian pull
pit today is to revive in the pew the
old gospel seeds of faith and hope.
When Wilton Merle Smith was called
to the Central Presbyterian church of
New York city he said to the commit
tee which waited on him: 'You do not
want me as your pastor. l am not an
intellectual teacher; am only simple
gospel preacher" "Ah," answered the
men, "that is the reason we want you
The people are hungering and thirsting
after the simple gospel truths" And il
is because the simple, salient gospel
beliefs are so much needed today thai
I am preaching this sermon upon faitl
and the belief that Christ can save oul
loved ones if we only pray.
Thus, my dear friends, tired and
: heavy hearted. tramping along the
highway Of life. l want to lift the
: heavy burdens off your hearts. 1t i:
these burdens that are crushing you
not the journey. Many of the oldel
l men have read an essay which was ia
nous many years ago. 1t was writer
J.. by the Country Parson" and called
e Concerning People Who Carr.
: Weights In Life The author wen
d on to show that it was the eXtr;
: weights some had to carry that mad
e them lose the race of life. And it i
L these extra burdens which we can cas-
[ at the foot of the cross that make u
= labor and heavy laden. Will you no
y accept the invitation of my text
y Will you not live in the faith of tina
y blessed promise and die in the hope
as did the beautiful Princess Eliza
, beth. the daughter of Charles l. Q
It England? Upon her marble monumen
= in Newport church, erected by Quee
n Victoria, is recorded the fact that sh
n was one morning found dead. wit
q her head pillowed upon the open Bib
n and her finger pointing to the simpl
e words, Come unto me all We that IL
b Dor and are heavy laden. and | wi
n give you rest" Today l urge upon 70
70 this wide invitation, with its gloriou
n promise. Christ bids you come wit
IS all your burdens and trials. and b
10 will bear them for you. He offers 20
I. | rest in this life rest in death an