The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-04-14

why do prayers fail? Incidence; pray
ing is hard work; haste, we must walt on
God; formality; secret sin In the heart;
oh, the shame of 1t, the weakness of it;
lack of preparation. minister once
told me that he had spent three hours in
preparing to so before millionaire and
ask for gift. Three hours he spent,
and when he came from the presence of
the man he said he realized with humilia-
ton that he had never spent an hour in
preparation to go before God.
There was a time when the mission
aries In China realized that they needed
100 more missionaries. For six days they
prayed for them and then one suggested
that they spend the seventh day in thank
gfvings. But, objected a missionary, we
haven't cotton them yet. No one has vol
| unteered. Oh, responded the other, but
we have been praying for them and quoted
the text. So the seventh day was spent
In praise.
Meanwhile at the other end 600 vollin-
| teered with the year, and shortly moro
| than 100 were sent out, thus fulfilling the
prayer and answering IT,
Thickness of Events
I'm 1853 a few shipwrecked Japanese
sailors were cast on the Chinese shore.
Ihere was a missionary there praying for
a wider field of work lie took these
Japanese and taught them as best he
could and in time they returned to Japan.
! Then Commodore Perry cast anchor in
Yokohama harbor and tried i'm vain to find
an interpreter. He searched the entire
coast and finally found s. Wells Williams,
the missionary. lie had learned enough
Japanese from the sailors to act as inter-
prefer and the treaties were negotiated
What marvellous timeliness of events.
I'm 1876 there was a man who .Iad moth
ing TO do at the Chinese missions. He
was advised to wait. The weeks passed
and nothing came for him. And tlfen
word came that a physician was needed
at the American legation in Corea, and
Allen went. Shortly the attempt to assas-
snate Prince Min occurred. Two men set
on him with swords and he was terribly
wounded. The Corean physicians were un-
able to cure him and Allen went to adj
minister to him. He bound up the ar
teries and saved his life Then he told of
his friends who wanted to come over
there and who had wonderous story to
tell. Prince Min consented for them to
come and Corea was opened to the world.
This Is one of the few instances of the
marvellous timeliness of events. And not
the least of these Is the present movement
for a republic in China IL we but grasp the
opportunity"
Why Go to Africa?
Bishop Lambuth here took up the At
rican situation and asked, why go?'
There are four reasons" he said.
First, the desperate need of us in the
dark continent Draw a line across the
upper part of Africa. There are about
60,000,o0O people living along that line
without light. The need of Africa is writ
ten in letters of blood. IL is a land of
tragedy. Tragedy is everywhere.
Second, our relation TO the African
race. 1t is providential. But irrespective
of what is done in Africa the greatest
constructive missionary work among the
negroes has been done here In America
The upllft was principally due to the
preaching of Methodist, Presbyterian,
Episcopal and Baptist ministers to the
negroes before the war Another mighty
factor was the ministrations of the south
ern women to the negro. The influence
was unconscious. perhaps, but the uncon-
scious influence is always the more pow
erful
There Is a wide field OF criticism of
the poor negro, but also the Anglo-Saxon.
The negro has a handicap on every side
We must do more than we are doing to
educate him morally, spiritually and men,
tally.
Third, because of the word go Go We
therefore unto all the earth was the
command and we have not gone. Christ Is