Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-03-23

tie Invalid we'll. The simple fact Is
the man would get well, whether you
prayed over him or no."
Yes, my friend, know that II Is the
common idea. You are exactly in the
same position as n prominent professor
Of one of our large state universities
who, short time ago, said TO his class:
Young gentlemen, prayer has abso-
lutely nothing to do with the outcome
OF the natural world. When the condi-
tons are right for ii to rain, the rain
comes. When the medicines are taken
AMI the fever has run its course. the
patient gets well, and 1t makes but
little difference whether the sick man is
a Mohammedan or a Christian. When
the tornado has blown itself out, the
storm ceases, and not before. Prayer
may have Its influence on the spiritual
world, but IL has absolutely no infiu-
ence in the material" Now, I take
issue with those who hold such ideas.
God does rule the material. And God
does change the outcome of the mote-
rial. This ancient story of preservation
of Rahab In the destruction of Jericho
is symbol OF what has taken place
many times in history and Of events In
your career and In mine.
How RaAah Was saves.
You. say Rahab was. saved by Josh
uass army She was saved BY the pro-
tsct1ng hanas OF God, a1one Uid,,yor,
eyer atop to consider wheee Rs{abss
house was built? The Bible distinctly
tells this in Joshua Il. Is: For her
house YVES upon the town wall. and she
dweat upon the WALL Now, as this
house was built upon the wall, what
happened when the besieging army
marched In? Why. that part OF the
wall where Rahab's house was and
where she gathered her father and
mother and brothers and sisters WAS
left standing. God did not allow that
part OF the city wall to totter and fall,
for IL II had with the tumbling OF
those mighty rocks Rahab and her ia
theirs household surely would have
been instantly killed. You say, 'Rahab
and her household were saved by the
Hebrew soldiers on account OF the
scarlet thread placed in the window"
'Tis true: God does work through hui
man agencies. But, say, Rahab was
also saved because God held up that
wall, upon the top of which stood Ra-
hab's home. Can you not see that God
in answer to prayer cares for the phys
ical well being of man as well as the
spiritual?
Do you feel that 1t is silly or use
less act to 60 and kneel by the little
crib Of your sick child and say, 20
God, make my baby well, II it be thy
~x-sr ~ a..
prolonged fifteen years through his
praying to God? Do you think it an
absurdity when you are about to start
on n long voyage to kDeel and say. 20
Lord. thou who dost govern the winds
and dost hold the seas in the palms OF
| thy hands, guard us and care for us as
we pillow through the trackless deepT ~
Was not the Mayfower protected on
her journey to the American shore be-
| cause John Robinson and his band Of
followers started the pilgrim fathers
with the pleadings Of prayer? In an
| old book ! once saw n picture called
1.-The Prayers For the Crusaders"
There at the foot of the cross knelt the
wives, sisters. mothers and children,
while Off i'm the distance you. could see
the armies marching toward the east
| ern capital OF David. All, yes; may
| every one of our homes be a living pic
| ture of The Prayers For the Crusad-
ers3 May we pray for the safety of
our loved ones. May we pray for the
restoration of health to the sick. May
we pray that God shall guard the
bodies of our dear ones, even as God
was the Saviour of Rahab and her ia
Tiers household. upon the top OF the
heaving, rocking, tumbling and shat
tered walls OF Jericho, at the mercy OF
an invading host.
A Practical Application.
But was this Rahab's only reward
| Nay. God not only saved Rahab, but
also all the property that she and her
fathers household had. God saved Ra-
hab's body, her clothes and her money
! and her jewels and her house and her
| food. In other words, by this rescue of
Rahab God seems to come to us and
say, IF you will only trust me and
live for me, will look after your food
and clothing and house rent and chill.
dren's education and all that you need
I'm q temporal sense" Therefore, II
Ged is to be our temporal proyider, NJ
| shsuld- never be willing to enter Into
1 any commercial or business dealingS a
Effe without frst kneeling to ask his
guidance and help. Now. some church
leaders do not believe this. They seem
to think that prayers to God are appro,
pirate for the church altar and for me
home. but not for the merchants Office
or the mechanics bench. They can un-
derstand how missionary, like Jud.
son or Livingstone or Brainerd, could
kneel and ask Gods blessing upon the
lands which they are to visit. but thew
think they have no right to ask God ia
heip them select their wardrobe or the
| DOCKS they are to read or the food
they are TO eat 1 remember some
months ago reading an excoriating ar.
ticie In one OF our large religious week.
hes. Inc writer was denouncing the
address of one of our leading evangel.
lists, who spoke as follows:s.T never
make move but I ask Gods blessing.
When so 10 meeting I say, q
GOD, bless this meeting tonight for the
salvation of many SOULS And even
when | so to clothing store 1 always
say, % God. help me to make a right
selection of my clothing
NOW" said this newspaper, "the
Idea OF any minister bringing this idea
or prayer to such n ridiculous com.
parison as that."->I am not using the
exact words, but merely conveying the
thought of what that article expressed.
BUT as read that article asked my
self these questions: (Which ia right