Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-01-21

within him? BY throwing away tn,
golden key which unlocks the close
door of secret prayer? By ncglcctint
TO have Il TRUSTING place. where, as {
lover, he can meet with God aud tall
over his plans and hopes? BY thinking
that there is any wakeful hour, day OF
night. when he can afford not to fee
that
Prayer is the Christians vital breath,
The Christians native air;
His watchword at the gate of death,
He enters heaven with prayer?
A Fatal MRncuvcr.
William 7. Sherman in his famous
journey from Atlanta to the sea broke
loose from his military base of SUP
plies and fed his army on the surround
ing country through which he marched
But n course that may be safe for q
military strategist is certainly and IN
evitably disastrous for a soldier of Je
never got OUT Of prayer touch with the
heavenly city. 1t Is fatal vancouver
1t will ultimately mean the Christian
falling a victim TO spiritual ambuscadc
entrapment and overthrow. You hay,
no more reason TO expect the flames OF
a candle to burn in chemical rotor,
emptied Of all oxygen than you have
a right to expect your spiritual fires tt
burn in your bedroom which is moi
charged and surcharged with the holy
~ r,lprn nf
1t is necessary for true spiritual life
to pray in public. Oh yes. But it Is
just as necessary to pray in private
The Lord thy God is a jealous God.
That means in one sense that there arr
times when God wants us to be alone
with him, alone as Christ was alone
with the Heavenly Father when Jesus
again and again went off alone to pray
He wants us to be alone with him in
holy fellowship, as some of us have
often been alone with our mothers
Blessed and tender were those hours
of sweet communion with our mothers
who have now gone beyond. After tho
rest Of the family were all in bed We
used to sit up toward midnight. telling
her what We wanted to do and asking
her if she thought it was best for us
to do ii. So God. the Heavenly Father
wants us AT times TO come to him
when VIC are alone. IIc wants us to
toll him all our plans. George White
field would never accept any invitation
to do anything OF any import unless he
C,e. col 7. 81 LII M
friend" In the darkness of the bed
room and in the solitary walks through
tho streets and in the quiet OF the Office
or in the kitchen, God wants us tC
frankly and freely and lovingly talk
with him.
Benefits OF Prayer.
Christian convert, never feel that tbt
hours are wasted which you spend or
your knees talking with Christ in So
cret prayer. You cannot find one ma,
on earth who has ever attained to 4
life of eminent Christian usefulnes-
unless he climbed there by grasplna
firmly and gladly, rung by rung, the
golden ladder Of secret prayer. What
said Charles IL. Spurgcon in reference
TO the power Of secret prayeri Wher
some one asked him the cause Of his
marvellous usefulness for Christ, Spur
geon pointed to the floor of his taber
nacle, saying: In the room beneath
YOU will find 500 praying Christians
Every time preach here they gather
together and uphold my hands by con
tnuous prayer and suppication, There
you Will lind the secret Of all the bless
ines." As Charles II. Spurccon'
"Gideons band by secret prayer sweep
their pastor on to spiritual victorlc.
so by the power OF secret prayer ";
can lift ourselves up toward Cod ant
Christian usefulness. AS Philip bod
bridge. of blessed memory, once said
''ihe better pray the better | study,
| say. The better You pray the better
you will work" Tho better you pray
the better az n mother you can looh
after your children. the better yor
pray the better you will live and the
better You will preach and the wider
will he your influence for Christ
Prayer in public necessary for spir
itual development: oh, Yes, Prayer
behind the locked door, prayer in So
crct, prayer whore only Gods ear cal
hear and Coils eye can see. Just as i'm
portnnt for the spiritual life and hope
During the Revolutionary war a high
land soldier was caught creeping int,
camp during the darkness of the night
He was charged with being Il SPY nn(
Being asked Why he had loft the camp
the soldier replied, II merely left II
order 10 60 out into tn" darkness of til,
woods and be alone with God and have
secret prayer Then down on youl
knees. Numbered the officer. within
twenty hours you shall be shot "a
spy. You never needed 10 pray n!
much as you need to pray now Th'
soldier dropped on his knees and offer
ed such simple, earnest praycr 81
faith and love that the tears sprane
from the commanders eyes. He turn
I'd to the guard end said: LET that sol
der go. He is telling the truth. He mus
have often been on his knees in praye
drill or else he could not have prayed
so we'll IN public review" The grea
Heavenly Commander judges the sin
certify Of our public professions by tn
earncslro,s and conservation of on
private dcvotions.
Our public Christian uScfulncss to
great extent is dependent upon the il
tcnsity of our prayers uttered IN ~
crct. Christian brother, never allo'
your prayer closet TO become dust coy