,,prevailing ,,prayer3      ,,what      
,,hinders ,,it8        ,,by      ,d4 ,l4
 ,,moody4        ,,chicago3    ,f4 ,h4  
,,revell1 #adh ,,and #aej ,,madison     
,,street4    ,publisher of ,evangelical 
,literature4            ,entered        
according to ,act of ,congress1 in the  
year #ahhd1 by    ,,fleming ,h4         
,,revell1    ,in the ,office of the     
,librarian of ,congress1 at ,washington4
        ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved4      
,printed and bound by ,j4 ,l4 ,,regan   
,,co41 ,chicago4          ,,prefatory   
,,note4      ,the two first and         
essential means of grace are the ,word  
of ,god and  ,prayer4 ,by these comes   
conversion2 for we are born again by the
 ,word of  ,god1 which liveth and       
abideth forever2 and whosoever shall    
call upon  the name of the ,lord shall  
be saved4    ,by these also we grow2 for
 we are exhorted to desire the sincere  
milk  of the ,word that we may grow     
thereby1 and we cannot grow in grace and
  in the knowledge of the ,lord ,jesus  

,christ except we also speak to ,him  in
 ,prayer4    ,it is by the ,word that   
the ,father sanctifies us2 but we are   
also bidden  to watch and pray1 lest we 
enter into temptation4    ,these two    
means of grace must be used in their    
right proportion4 ,if we  read the ,word
 and do not pray1 we may become puffed  
up with knowledge1  without the love    
that buildeth up4 ,if we pray without   
reading the ,word1  we shall be ignorant
 of the mind and will of ,god1 and      
become mystical  and fanatical1 and     
liable to be blown about by every wind  
of doctrine4    ,the following chapters 
relate especially to ,prayer2 but in    
order that  our prayers may be for such 
things as are according to the will of  
,god1 they must be based upon the       
revelation of ,his own will to us2 for  
of ,him1 and through ,him1 and to ,him  
are all things2 and it is only by       
hearing ,his ,word1 in which we learn   
,his purposes toward us and towards  the
 world1 that we can pray acceptably1    

praying in the ,holy ,ghost1  asking    
those things which are pleasing in ,his 
sight4    ,these ,addresses are not to  
be regarded as exhaustive1 but          
suggestive4  ,this great subject has    
been the theme of ,prophets and         
,apostles1 and of  all good men in all  
ages of the world2 and my desire in     
sending forth  this little volume is to 
encourage ,god's children to seek by    
prayer 8to  move the ,arm that moves the
 world40                                
,illustration3 ,d4 ,l4 ,moody4 signature
          ,,contents4                   
,,page      ,,chapter ,i4    ,,the      
,,prayers ,,of ,,the ,,bible        #g  
,,chapter ,,ii4    ,,adoration          
#ai      ,,chapter ,,iii4               
,,confession                     #be    
,,chapter ,,iv4    ,,restitution        
#da      ,,chapter ,v4    ,,thanksgiving
                   #ea      ,,chapter   
,,vi4    ,,forgiveness                  
#ei      ,,chapter ,,vii4    ,,unity    
#ga      ,,chapter ,,viii4    ,,faith   

#gi      ,,chapter ,,ix4    ,,petition  
#ij      ,,chapter ,x4    ,,submission  
#ajb      ,,chapter ,,xi4    ,,answered 
,,prayers              #aaa             
,prayer4        ,prayer was appointed to
 convey      ,the blessings ,god designs
 to give2    ,long as they live should  
,christians pray1      ,for only while  
they pray they live4      ,and shall we 
in dead silence lie1      ,when ,christ 
stands waiting for our prayer8    ,my   
soul1 thou hast a ,friend on high2      
,arise and try thy interest there4      
,if pain afflict1 or wrongs oppress2    
,if cares distract1 or fears dismay2    
,if guilt deject1 if sin distress2      
,the remedy's before thee--,pray6       
,depend on ,christ1 thou canst not fail2
      ,make all thy wants and wishes    
known4    ,fear not2 ,his merits must   
prevail2      ,ask what thou wilt2 it   
shall be done6                          
--,joseph ,hart4          ,,prevailing  
,,prayer4          ,,chapter ,i4        
,,the ,,prayers ,,of ,,the ,,bible4     

,those who have left the deepest        
impression on this sin-cursed earth     
have been men and women of prayer4 ,you 
will find that ,,prayer has been  the   
mighty power that has moved not only    
,god1 but man4 ,abraham was a  man of   
prayer1 and angels came down from heaven
 to converse with him4  ,jacob's prayer 
was answered in the wonderful interview 
at ,peniel1 that  resulted in his having
 such a mighty blessing1 and in         
softening the  heart of his brother     
,esau2 the child ,samuel was given in   
answer to  ,hannah's prayer2 ,elijah's  
prayer closed up the heavens for three  
years  and six months1 and he prayed    
again and the heavens gave rain4    ,the
 ,apostle ,james tells us that the      
prophet ,elijah was a man 8subject  to  
like passions as we are40 ,i am thankful
 that those men and women who  were so  
mighty in prayer were just like         
ourselves4 ,we are apt to think  that   
those prophets and mighty men and women 
of old time were different  from what we

 are4 ,to be sure they lived in a much  
darker age1 but they  were of like      
passions with ourselves4    ,we read    
that on another occasion ,elijah brought
 down fire on ,mount  ,carmel4 ,the     
prophets of ,baal cried long and loud1  
but no answer came4  ,the ,god of       
,elijah heard and answered his prayer4  
,let us remember that  the ,god of      
,elijah still lives4 ,the prophet was   
translated and went up  to heaven1 but  
his ,god still lives1 and we have the   
same access to ,him  that ,elijah had4  
,we have the same warrant to go to ,god 
and ask the fire  from heaven to come   
down and consume our lusts and          
passions--to burn up  our dross1 and let
 ,christ shine through us4    ,elisha   
prayed1 and life came back to a dead    
child4 ,many of our children  are dead  
in trespasses and sins4 ,let us do as   
,elisha did2 let us  entreat ,god to    
raise them up in answer to our prayers4 
,manasseh1 the king1 was a wicked man1  
and had done everything he could        

against the ,god of his father2 yet in  
,babylon1 when he cried to ,god1  his   
cry was heard1 and he was taken out of  
prison and put on the throne  at        
,jerusalem4 ,surely if ,god gave heed to
 the prayer of wicked ,manasseh1  ,he   
will hear ours in the time of our       
distress4 ,is not this a time of        
distress with a great number of our     
fellow-men8 ,are there not many  among  
us whose hearts are burdened8 ,as we go 
to the throne of grace1  let us remember
 that ,,god ,,answers ,,prayer4         
,look1 again1 at ,samson4 ,he prayed2   
and his strength came back1  so that he 
slew more at his death than during his  
life4 ,he was a  restored backslider1   
and he had power with ,god4 ,if those   
who have been  backsliders will but     
return to ,god1 they will see how       
quickly ,god will  answer prayer4       
,job prayed1 and his captivity was      
turned4 ,light came in the place  of    
darkness1 and ,god lifted him up above  
the height of his former  prosperity--in

 answer to prayer4    ,daniel prayed to 
,god1 and ,gabriel came to tell him that
 he was a man  greatly beloved of ,god4 
,three times that message came to him   
from  heaven in answer to prayer4 ,the  
secrets of heaven were imparted to him1 
and he was told that ,god's ,son was    
going to be cut off for the sins of     
,his people4 ,we find also that         
,cornelius prayed2 and ,peter was sent  
to  tell him words whereby he and his   
should be saved4 ,in answer to prayer   
this great blessing came upon him and   
his household4 ,peter had gone up  to   
the house-top to pray in the afternoon1 
when he had that wonderful  vision of   
the sheet let down from heaven4 ,it was 
when prayer was made  without ceasing   
unto ,god for ,peter1 that the angel was
 sent to deliver  him4    ,so all       
through the ,scriptures you will find   
that when believing  prayer went up to  
,god1 the answer came down4 ,i think it 
would be a  very interesting study to go
 right through the ,bible and see what  

has  happened while ,god's people have  
been on their knees calling upon him4   
,certainly the study would greatly      
strengthen our faith--showing1 as it    
would1 how wonderfully ,god has heard   
and delivered1 when the cry has  gone up
 to ,him for help4    ,look at ,paul and
 ,silas in the prison at ,philippi4 ,as 
they prayed and  sang praises1 the place
 was shaken1 and the jailer was         
converted4  ,probably that one          
conversion has done more than any other 
recorded  in the ,bible to bring people 
into the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,how many    
have  been blessed in seeking to answer 
the question--8,what must ,i do to  be  
saved80 ,it was the prayer of those two 
godly men that brought the  jailer to   
his knees1 and that brought blessing to 
him and his family4    ,you remember how
 ,stephen1 as he prayed and looked up1  
saw the heavens  opened1 and the ,son of
 ,man at the right hand of ,god2 the    
light of  heaven fell on his face so    
that it shone4 ,remember1 too1 how the  

face  of ,moses shone as he came down   
from the ,mount2 he had been in         
communion  with ,god4 ,so when we get   
really into communion with ,god1 ,he    
lifts up  ,his countenance upon us2 and 
instead of our having gloomy looks1 our 
faces will shine1 because ,god has heard
 and answered our prayers4    ,i want to
 call special attention to ,christ as an
 example for us in all  things2 in      
nothing more than in prayer4 ,we read   
that ,christ prayed  to ,his ,father for
 everything4 ,every great crisis in ,his
 life was  preceded by prayer4 ,let me  
quote a few passages4 ,i never noticed  
till  a few years ago that ,christ was  
praying at ,his baptism4 ,as ,he prayed1
  the heaven was opened1 and the ,holy  
,ghost descended on ,him4 ,another      
great event in ,his life was ,his       
,transfiguration4 8,as ,he prayed1 the  
fashion of ,his countenance was altered1
 and ,his raiment was white and         
glistering40    ,we read again3 8,it    
came to pass in those days that ,he went

 out into a  mountain to pray1 and      
continued all night in prayer to ,god40 
,this is  the only place where it is    
recorded that the ,savior spent a whole 
night  in prayer4 ,what was about to    
take place8 ,when ,he came down from the
  mountain ,he gathered ,his disciples  
around ,him1 and preached that great    
discourse known as the ,sermon on the   
,mount--the most wonderful sermon  that 
has ever been preached to mortal men4   
,probably no sermon has done  so much   
good1 and it was preceded by a night of 
prayer4 ,if our sermons  are going to   
reach the hearts and consciences of the 
people1 we must be  much in prayer to   
,god1 that there may be power with the  
word4    ,in the ,gospel of ,john we    
read that ,jesus at the grave of        
,lazarus lifted  up ,his eyes to heaven1
 and said3 8,father1 ,i thank ,thee that
 ,thou hast  heard ,me2 and ,i know that
 ,thou hearest ,me always2 but because  
of the  people which stand by ,i said   
it1 that they may believe that ,thou    

hast  sent ,me40 ,notice1 that before   
,he spoke the dead to life ,he spoke to 
,his ,father4 ,if our spiritually dead  
ones are to be raised1 we must  first   
get power with ,god4 ,the reason we so  
often fail in moving our  fellow-men is 
that we try to win them without first   
getting power with  ,god4 ,jesus was in 
communion with ,his ,father1 and so ,he 
could be assured  that ,his prayers were
 heard4    ,we read again1 in the       
twelfth of ,john1 that ,he prayed to the
 ,father4 ,i  think this is one of the  
saddest chapters in the whole ,bible4   
,he was  about to leave the ,jewish     
nation and to make atonement for the sin
 of  the world4 ,hear what ,he says3    
8,now is ,my soul troubled1 and what    
shall  ,i say8 ,father1 save ,me from   
this hour2 but for this cause came ,i   
unto  this hour40 ,he was almost under  
the shadow of the ,cross2 the iniquities
  of mankind were about to be laid upon 
,him2 one of ,his twelve disciples  was 
going to deny ,him and swear he never   

knew ,him2 another was to sell  ,him for
 thirty pieces of silver2 all were to   
forsake ,him and flee4 ,his  soul was   
exceeding sorrowful1 and ,he prays2 when
 ,his soul was troubled1  ,god spake to 
,him4 ,then in the ,garden of           
,gethsemane1 while ,he prayed1  an angel
 appeared to strengthen him4 ,in answer 
to ,his cry1 8,father1  glorify ,thy    
,name10 ,he hears a voice coming down   
from the glory--8,i have  both glorified
 it1 and will glorify it again40        
,another memorable prayer of our ,lord  
was in the ,garden of ,gethsemane3  8,he
 was withdrawn from them about a stone's
 cast1 and kneeled down and  prayed40 ,i
 would draw your attention to the       
recorded fact that four  times the      
answer came right down from heaven while
 the ,savior prayed to  ,god4 ,the first
 time was at ,his baptism1 when the     
heavens were opened1  and the ,spirit   
descended upon ,him in answer to ,his   
prayer4 ,again1 on  the ,mount of       
,transfiguration1 ,god appeared and     

spoke to ,him4 ,then  when the ,greeks  
came desiring to see ,him1 the voice of 
,god was heard  responding to ,his call2
 and again1 when ,he cried to the       
,father in the  midst of ,his agony1 a  
direct response was given4 ,these things
 are  recorded1 ,i doubt not1 that we   
may be encouraged to pray4    ,we read  
that ,his disciples came to ,him1 and   
said1 8,lord1 teach us to  pray40 ,it is
 not recorded that ,he taught them how  
to preach4 ,i have  often said that ,i  
would rather know how to pray like      
,daniel than to  preach like ,gabriel4  
,if you get love into your soul1 so that
 the  grace of ,god may come down in    
answer to prayer1 there will be no      
trouble about reaching the people4 ,it  
is not by eloquent sermons that         
perishing souls are going to be reached2
 we need the power of ,god in  order    
that the blessing may come down4    ,the
 prayer our ,lord taught his disciples  
is commonly called the ,lord's  ,prayer4
 ,i think that the ,lord's prayer1 more 

properly1 is that in the  seventeenth of
 ,john4 ,that is the longest prayer on  
record that ,jesus  made4 ,you can read 
it slowly and carefully in about four or
 five  minutes4 ,i think we may learn a 
lesson here4 ,our ,master's prayers were
  short when offered in public2 when ,he
 was alone with ,god that was a         
different thing1 and ,he could spend the
 whole night in communion with  ,his    
,father4 ,my experience is that those   
who pray most in their closets          
generally make short prayers in public4 
,long prayers are too often not  prayers
 at all1 and they weary the people4 ,how
 short the publican's  prayer was3 8,god
 be merciful to me a sinner60 ,the      
,syrophenician woman's  was shorter     
still3 8,lord help me60 ,she went right 
to the mark1 and she  got what she      
wanted4 ,the prayer of the thief on the 
cross was a short  one3 8,lord1 remember
 me when ,thou comest into ,thy         
,kingdom60 ,peter's  prayer was1 8,lord1
 save me1 or ,i perish60 ,so1 if you go 

through the  ,scriptures1 you will find 
that the prayers that brought immediate 
answers were generally brief4 ,let our  
prayers be to the point1 just  telling  
,god what we want4    ,in the prayer of 
our ,lord1 in ,john xvii1 we find that  
,he made seven  requests--one for       
,himself1 four for ,his disciples around
 ,him1 and two  for the disciples of    
succeeding ages4 ,six times in that one 
prayer  ,he repeats that ,god had sent  
,him4 ,the world looked upon ,him as an 
imposter2 and ,he wanted them to know   
that ,he was heaven-sent4 ,he speaks  of
 the world nine times1 and makes mention
 of ,his disciples and those  who       
believe on ,him fifty times4            
,christ's last prayer on the ,cross was 
a short one3 8,father1 forgive  them for
 they know not what they do40 ,i believe
 that prayer was  answered4 ,we find    
that right there in front of the ,cross1
 a ,roman  centurion was converted4 ,it 
was probably in answer to the ,savior's 
prayer4 ,the conversion of the thief1 ,i

 believe1 was in answer to that  prayer 
of our blessed ,lord4 ,saul of ,tarsus  
may have heard it1 and the  words may   
have followed him as he traveled to     
,damascus2 so that when  the ,lord spoke
 to him on the way1 he may have         
recognized the voice4  ,one thing we do 
know2 that on the day of ,pentecost some
 of the enemies  of the ,lord were      
converted4 ,surely that was in answer to
 the prayer1  8,father1 forgive them60  
,hence we see that prayer holds a high  
place among the exercises of a          
spiritual life4 ,all ,god's people have 
been praying people4 ,look1 for         
instance1 at ,baxter6 ,he stained his   
study walls with praying breath2  and   
after he was anointed with the unction  
of the ,holy ,ghost1 sent  a river of   
living water over ,kidderminster1 and   
converted hundreds4  ,luther and his    
companions were men of such mighty      
pleading with ,god1  that they broke the
 spell of ages1 and laid nations subdued
 at the  foot of the ,cross4 ,john ,knox

 grasped all ,scotland in his strong    
arms  of faith2 his prayers terrified   
tyrants4 ,whitefield1 after much holy1  
faithful closet-pleading1 went to the   
,devil's fair1 and took more  than a    
thousand souls out of the paw of the    
lion in one day4 ,see a  praying ,wesley
 turn more than ten thousand souls to   
the ,lord6 ,look at  the praying        
,finney1 whose prayers1 faith1 sermons  
and writings1 have  shaken this whole   
country1 and sent a wave of blessing    
through the  churches on both sides of  
the sea4    ,dr4 ,guthrie thus speaks of
 prayer and its necessity3 8,the first  
true  sign of spiritual life1 prayer1 is
 also the means of maintaining it4  ,man
 can as well live physically without    
breathing1 as spiritually  without      
praying4 ,there is a class of           
animals--the cetaceous1 neither  fish   
nor sea-fowl--that inhabit the deep4 ,it
 is their home1 they never  leave it for
 the shore2 yet1 though swimming beneath
 its waves1 and  sounding its darkest   

depths1 they have ever and anon to rise 
to the  surface that they may breathe   
the air4 ,without that1 these monarchs  
of  the deep could not exist in the     
dense element in which they live1 and   
move1 and have their being4 ,and        
something like what is imposed on them  
by a physical necessity1 the ,christian 
has to do by a spiritual one4 ,it  is by
 ever and anon ascending up to ,god1 by 
rising through prayer into  a loftier1  
purer region for supplies of ,divine    
grace1 that he maintains  his spiritual 
life4 ,prevent these animals from rising
 to the surface1  and they die for want 
of breath2 prevent the ,christian from  
rising to  ,god1 and he dies for want of
 prayer4 #8,give me children1' cried    
,rachel1  #8or else ,i die4' #8,let me  
breathe1' says a man gasping1 #8or else 
,i die4'  #8,let me pray1' says the     
,christian1 #8or else ,i die4'0         
8,since ,i began10 said ,dr4 ,payson    
when a student1 8to beg ,god's blessing 
on my studies1 ,i have done more in one 

week than in the whole year  before40   
,luther1 when most pressed with work1   
said1 8,i have so much  to do that ,i   
cannot get on without three hours a day 
praying40 ,and  not only do theologians 
think and speak highly of prayer2 men of
 all  ranks and positions in life have  
felt the same4 ,general ,havelock rose  
at four o'clock1 if the hour for        
marching was six1 rather than lose  the 
precious privilege of communion with    
,god before setting out4 ,sir  ,matthew 
,hale says3 8,if ,i omit praying and    
reading ,god's ,word in the  morning1   
nothing goes well all day40    8,a great
 part of my time10 said ,mc,cheyne1 8is 
spent in getting my heart  in tune for  
prayer4 ,it is the link that connects   
earth with heaven40    ,a comprehensive 
view of the subject will show that there
 are nine  elements which are essential 
to true prayer4 ,the first is           
,adoration2  we cannot meet ,god on a   
level at the start4 ,we must approach   
,him as  ,one far beyond our reach or   

sight4 ,the next is ,confession2 sin    
must be  put out of the way4 ,we cannot 
have any communion with ,god while there
  is any transgression between us4 ,if  
there stands some wrong you have  done a
 man1 you cannot expect that man's favor
 until you go to him and  confess the   
fault4 ,restitution is another2 we have 
to make good the  wrong1 wherever       
possible4 ,thanksgiving is the next2 we 
must be thankful  for what ,god has done
 for us already4 ,then comes            
,forgiveness1 and then  ,unity2 and then
 for prayer1 such as these things       
produce1 there must  be ,faith4 ,thus   
influenced1 we shall be ready to offer  
direct ,petition4  ,we hear a good deal 
of praying that is just exhorting1 and  
if you did  not see the man's eyes      
closed1 you would suppose he was        
preaching4  ,then1 much that is called  
prayer is simply finding fault4 ,there  
needs  to be more petition in our       
prayers4 ,after all these1 there must   
come  ,submission4 ,while praying1 we   

must be ready to accept the will of     
,god4  ,we shall consider these nine    
elements in detail1 closing our         
inquiries  by giving incidents          
illustrative of the certainty of our    
receiving1  under such conditions1      
,answers to ,prayer4          ,the ,hour
 of ,prayer4        8,lord1 what a      
change within us one short hour         
,spent in ,thy presence will prevail to 
make6        ,what heavy burdens from   
our bosoms take2    ,what parched       
grounds refresh as with a shower4       
8,we kneel--and all around us seems to  
lower2        ,we rise--and all1 the    
distant and the near1        ,stands    
forth in sunny outline brave and clear2 
,we kneel3 how weak6--we rise3 how full 
of power6      8,why1 therefore1 should 
we do ourselves this wrong1    ,or      
others--that we are not always strong8  
,that we are ever overborne with care2  
,that we should ever weak or heartless  
be1    ,anxious or troubled1 while with 
us is prayer1        ,and joy1 and      

strength1 and courage1 are with ,thee80 
,trench4          ,,chapter ,,ii4       
,,adoration4      ,this has been defined
 as the act of rendering ,divine honor1 
including  in it reverence1 esteem and  
love4 ,it literally signifies to apply  
the  hand to the mouth1 8to kiss the    
hand20 in ,eastern countries this is one
  of the great marks of respect and     
submission4 ,the importance of coming   
before ,god in this spirit is great1    
therefore it is so often impressed  upon
 us in the ,word of ,god4    ,the ,rev4 
,newman ,hall1 in his work on the       
,lord's ,prayer1 says3 8,man's  worship1
 apart from revelation1 has been        
uniformly characterized by  selfishness4
 ,we come to ,god either to thank ,him  
for benefits already  received1 or to   
implore still further benefits3 food1   
raiment1 health1  safety1 comfort4 ,like
 ,jacob at ,bethel1 we are disposed to  
make the  worship we render to ,god     
cor-relative with #8food to eat1 and    
raiment to  put on4' ,this style of     

petition1 in which self generally       
precedes and  predominates1 if it does  
not altogether absorb1 our              
supplications1 is  not only seen in the 
votaries of false systems1 but in the   
majority of  the prayers of professed   
,christians4 ,our prayers are like the  
,parthian  horsemen1 who ride one way   
while they look another2 we seem to go  
toward ,god1 but1 indeed1 reflect upon  
ourselves4 ,and this may be the  reason 
why many times our prayers are sent     
forth1 like the raven out  of ,noah's   
ark1 and never return4 ,but when we make
 the glory of ,god the  chief end of our
 devotion1 they go forth like the dove1 
and return to  us again with an olive   
branch40    ,let me refer you to a      
passage in the prophecies of ,daniel4   
,he was one  of the men who knew how to 
pray2 his prayer brought the blessing of
  heaven upon himself and upon his      
people4 ,he says3 8,i set my face unto  
the ,lord ,god1 to seek by prayer and   
supplications1 with fasting1 and        

sackcloth1 and ashes2 and ,i prayed unto
 the ,lord my ,god1 and made my         
confession1 and said1 ,o ,lord1 the     
great and dreadful ,god1 keeping the    
covenant and mercy to them that love    
,him1 and to them that keep ,his        
commandments60    ,the thought ,i want  
to call special attention to is conveyed
 in the  words1 8,o ,lord1 the great and
 dreadful ,god60 ,daniel took his right 
place before ,god--in the dust2 he put  
,god in ,his right place4 ,it was  when 
,abraham was on his face1 prostrate     
before ,god1 that ,god spoke to  him1   
,holiness belongs to ,god2 sinfulness   
belongs to us4    ,brooks1 that grand   
old ,puritan writer1 says3 8,a person of
 real  holiness is much affected and    
taken up in the admiration of the       
holiness of ,god4 ,unholy persons may be
 somewhat affected and taken with  the  
other excellences of ,god2 it is only   
holy souls that are taken and  affected 
with ,his holiness4 ,the more holy any  
are1 the more deeply are  they affected 

by this4 ,to the holy angels1 the       
holiness of ,god is the  sparkling      
diamond in the ring of glory4 ,but      
unholy persons are affected  and taken  
with anything rather than with this4    
,nothing strikes the  sinner into such a
 damp as a discourse on the holiness of 
,god2 it is  as the handwriting on the  
wall2 nothing makes the head and heart  
of  a sinner to ache like a sermon upon 
the ,holy ,one2 nothing galls and       
gripes1 nothing stings and terrifies    
unsanctified ones1 like a lively        
setting forth of the holiness of ,god4  
,but to holy souls there are no         
discourses that do more suit and satisfy
 them1 that do more delight and  content
 them1 that do more please and profit   
them1 than those that do  most fully and
 powerfully discover ,god to be glorious
 in holiness40 ,so1  in coming before   
,god1 we must adore and reverence ,his  
name4    ,the same thing is brought out 
in ,isaiah3    8,in the year that ,king 
,uzziah died1 ,i saw also the ,lord     

sitting upon a  throne1 high and lifted 
up1 and ,his train filled the temple4   
,above it  stood the seraphim2 each one 
had six wings2 with twain he covered his
  face1 and with twain he covered his   
feet1 and with twain he did fly4  ,and  
one cried unto another1 and said3 ,holy1
 holy1 holy1 is the ,lord of  hosts3 the
 whole earth is full of ,his glory40    
,when we see the holiness of ,god1 we   
shall adore and magnify ,him4 ,moses    
had to learn the same lesson4 ,god told 
him to take his shoes from off  his     
feet1 for the place whereon he stood was
 holy ground4 ,when we hear  men trying 
to make out that they are holy1 and     
speaking about their  holiness1 they    
make light of the holiness of ,god4 ,it 
is ,his holiness  that we need to think 
and speak about2 when we do that1 we    
shall be  prostrate in the dust4 ,you   
remember1 also1 how it was with ,peter4 
,when  ,christ made ,himself known to   
him1 he said1 8,depart from me1 for ,i  
am  a sinful man1 ,o ,lord60 ,a sight of

 ,god is enough to show us how holy ,he 
is1 and how unholy we are4    ,we find  
that ,job too1 had to be taught the same
 lesson4 8,then ,job  answered the      
,lord1 and said3 ,behold ,i am vile2    
what shall ,i answer  ,thee8 ,i will lay
 my hand upon my mouth40    ,as you hear
 ,job discussing with his friends you   
would think he was  one of the holiest  
men who ever lived4 ,he was eyes to the 
blind1 and  feet to the lame2 he fed the
 hungry1 and clothed the naked4 ,what a 
wonderfully good man he was6 ,it was all
 ,i1 ,i1 ,i4 ,at last ,god said to  him1
 8,gird up your loins like a man1 and ,i
 will put a few questions to  you40 ,the
 moment that ,god revealed ,himself1    
,job changed his language4  ,he saw his 
own vileness1 and ,god's purity4 ,he    
said1 8,i have heard of  ,thee by the   
hearing of the ear1 but now mine eye    
seeth ,thee2 wherefore  ,i abhor myself1
 and repent in dust and ashes40    ,the 
same thing is seen in the cases of those
 who came to our ,lord in  the days of  

,his flesh2 those who came aright1      
seeking and obtaining  the blessing1    
manifested a lively sense of ,his       
infinite superiority to  themselves4    
,the centurion1 of whom we read in the  
eighth of ,matthew1  said3 8,lord1 ,i am
 not worthy that ,thou shouldest come   
under my roof20  ,jairus 8worshiped     
,him10 as he presented his request2 the 
leper1 in  the ,gospel of ,mark1 came   
8kneeling down to ,him20 the            
,syrophenician  woman 8came and fell at 
,his feet20 the man full of leprosy     
8seeing  ,jesus1 fell on his face40 ,so1
 too the beloved disciple1 speaking  of 
the feeling they had concerning ,him    
when they were abiding with  ,him as    
their ,lord1 said3 8,we beheld ,his     
glory1 the glory as of the              
only-begotten of the ,father1 full of   
grace and truth40 ,however intimate     
their companionship1 and tender their   
love1 they reverenced as much as  they  
communed1 and adored as much as they    
loved4    ,we may say of every act of   

prayer as ,george ,herbert says of      
public  worship3      8,when once thy   
foot enters the church1 be bare2    ,god
 is more than thou2 for thou art there  
,only by ,his permission4 ,then beware1 
,and make thyself all reverence and     
fear4    ,kneeling ne'er spoiled silk   
stocking2 quit thy state4    ,all equal 
are within the church's gate40    ,the  
wise man says3 8,keep thy foot when thou
 goest to the house of ,god1  and be    
more ready to hear than to give the     
sacrifice of fools2 for they  consider  
not that they do evil4 ,be not rash with
 thy mouth1 and let  not thine heart be 
hasty to utter anything before ,god2 for
 ,god is in  heaven1 and thou upon      
earth--therefore let thy words be few40 
,if we are struggling to live a higher  
life1 and to know something of  ,god's  
holiness and purity1 what we need is to 
be brought into contact  with ,him1 that
 ,he may reveal ,himself4 ,then we shall
 take our place  before ,him as those   
men of old were constrained to do4 ,we  

shall hallow  ,his ,name--as the ,master
 taught ,his disciples1 when ,he said1  
8,hallowed  be ,thy ,name40 ,when ,i    
think of the irreverence of the present 
time1 it  seems to me that we have      
fallen on evil days4    ,let us1 as     
,christians1 when we draw near to ,god  
in prayer1 give ,him ,his  right place4 
8,let us have grace whereby we may serve
 ,god acceptably1  with reverence and   
,godly fear1 for our ,god is a consuming
 fire40          ,the ,trinity4         
8,thou dear and great mysterious ,three1
        ,for ever be adored1    ,for all
 the endless grace we see        ,in our
 ,redeemer stored4      8,the ,father's 
ancient grace we sing1        ,that     
chose us in our ,head2    ,ordaining    
,christ1 our ,god and ,king1        ,to 
suffer in our stead4      8,the sacred  
,son1 in equal strains1        ,with    
reverence we address1    ,for all ,his  
grace1 and dying pains1        ,and     
splendid righteousness4      8,with     
tuneful tongue the ,holy ,ghost         

,for ,his great work we praise1         
,whose power inspires the blood-bought  
host        ,their grateful voice to    
raise4      8,thus the ,eternal ,three  
in ,one        ,we join to praise1 for  
grace    ,and endless glory through the 
,son1        ,as shining from ,his      
face40          ,,chapter ,,iii4        
,,confession4      ,another element in  
true prayer is ,confession4 ,i do not   
want ,christian  friends to think that  
,i am talking to the unsaved4 ,i think  
we1 as  ,christians1 have a good many   
sins to confess4    ,if you go back to  
the ,scripture records1 you will find   
that the men  who lived nearest to ,god1
 and had most power with ,him1 were     
those who  confessed their sins and     
failures4 ,daniel1 as we have seen1     
confessed  his sins and those of his    
people4 ,yet there is nothing recorded  
against  ,daniel4 ,he was one of the    
best men then on the face of the earth1 
yet  was his confession of sin one of   
the deepest and most humble on record4  

,brooks1 referring to ,daniel's         
confession1 says3 8,in these words you  
have seven circumstances that ,daniel   
useth in confessing of his and  the     
people's sins2 and all to heighten and  
aggravate them4 ,first1 #8,we  have     
sinned2' secondly1 #8,we have committed 
iniquity2' thirdly1 #8,we have  done    
wickedly2' fourthly1 #8,we have rebelled
 against thee2' fifthly1  #8,we have    
departed from ,thy precepts2' sixthly1  
#8,we have not hearkened  unto ,thy     
servants2' seventhly1 #8,nor our        
princes1 nor all the people  of the     
land4' ,these seven aggravations which  
,daniel reckons up in his  confession   
are worthy our most serious             
consideration40    ,job was no doubt a  
holy man1 a mighty prince1 yet he had to
 fall in  the dust and confess his sins4
 ,so you will find it all through the   
,scriptures4 ,when ,isaiah saw the      
purity and holiness of ,god1 he beheld  
himself in his true light1 and he       
exclaimed1 8,woe is me1 for ,i am       

undone1 because ,i am a man of unclean  
lips60    ,i firmly believe that the    
,church of ,god will have to confess her
 own  sins1 before there can be any     
great work of grace4 ,there must be a   
deeper work among ,god's believing      
people4 ,i sometimes think it is about  
time to give up preaching to the        
ungodly1 and preach to those who        
profess to be ,christians4 ,if we had a 
higher standard of life in the  ,church 
of ,god1 there would be thousands more  
flocking into the ,kingdom4  ,so it was 
in the past2 when ,god's believing      
children turned away from  their sins   
and their idols1 the fear of ,god fell  
upon the people round  about4 ,take up  
the history of ,israel1 and you will    
find that when they  put away their     
strange gods1 ,god visited the nation1  
and there came a  mighty work of grace4 
,what we want in these days is a true   
and deep revival in the ,church of      
,god4 ,i have little sympathy with the  
idea that ,god is going to reach  the   

masses by a cold and formal church4 ,the
 judgment of ,god must begin  with us4  
,you notice that when ,daniel got that  
wonderful answer to  prayer recorded in 
the ninth chapter1 he was confessing his
 sin4 ,that  is one of the best chapters
 on prayer in the whole ,bible4    ,we  
read3 8,while ,i was speaking1 and      
praying1 and confessing my sin1  and the
 sin of my people ,israel1 and          
presenting my supplication before  the  
,lord my ,god for the holy mountain of  
my ,god2 yea1 while ,i was  speaking in 
my prayer1 even the man ,gabriel1 whom  
,i had seen in the  vision at the       
beginning1 being caused to fly swiftly1 
touched me about  the time of the       
evening oblation4 ,and he informed me1  
and talked with  me1 and said1 ,o       
,daniel1 ,i am now come forth to give   
thee skill and  understanding40    ,so  
also when ,job was confessing his sin1  
,god turned his captivity and  heard his
 prayer4 ,god will hear our prayer and  
turn our captivity  when we take our    

true place before ,him1 and confess and 
forsake our  transgressions4 ,it was    
when ,isaiah cried out before the ,lord1
 8,i am  undone10 that the blessing     
came2 the live coal was taken from the  
altar and put upon his lips2 and he went
 out to write one of the most  wonderful
 books the world has ever seen4 ,what a 
blessing it has been to  the church6    
,it was when ,david said1 8,i have      
sinned60 that ,god dealt in mercy  with 
him4 8,i acknowledge my sin unto ,thee1 
and mine iniquity have ,i  not hid4 ,i  
said1 ,i will confess my transgressions 
unto the ,lord2 and  ,thou forgavest the
 iniquity of my sin40 ,notice how ,david
 made a very  similar confession to that
 of the prodigal in the fifteenth of    
,luke3 8,i  acknowledge my              
transgressions2 and my sin is ever      
before me4 ,against  ,thee1 ,thee only1 
have ,i sinned1 and done this evil in   
,thy sight60 ,there  is no difference   
between the king and the beggar when the
 ,spirit of ,god  comes into the heart  

and convicts of sin4    ,richard ,sibbes
 quaintly says of confession3 8,this is 
the way to give  glory to ,god3 when we 
have laid open our souls to ,god1 and   
laid as much  against ourselves as the  
devil could do that way1 for let us     
think  what the devil would lay to our  
charge at the hour of death and the  day
 of judgment4 ,he would lay hard to our 
charge this and that--let  us accuse    
ourselves as he would1 and as he will   
ere long4 ,the more  we accuse and judge
 ourselves1 and set up a tribunal in our
 hearts1  certainly there will follow an
 incredible ease4 ,jonah was cast into  
the sea1 and there was an ease in the   
ship2 ,achan was stoned1 and the  plague
 was stayed4 ,out with ,jonah1 out with 
,achan2 and there will  follow ease and 
quiet in the soul presently4 ,conscience
 will receive  wonderful ease4    8,it  
must needs be so2 for when ,god is      
honored1 conscience is purified4  ,god  
is honored by confession of sin every   
way4 ,it honors ,his  omniscience1 that 

,he is all-seeing2 that ,he sees our    
sins and searches  our hearts--our      
secrets are not hid from ,him4 ,it      
honours ,his power4  ,what makes us     
confess our sins1 but that we are afraid
 of ,his power1  lest ,he should execute
 it8 ,and what makes us confess our     
sins1 but that  we know there is mercy  
with ,him that ,he may be feared1 and   
that there  is pardon for sin8 ,we would
 not confess our sins else4 ,with men it
 is1  ,confess1 and have execution2 but 
with ,god1 ,confess1 and have mercy4    
,it is ,his own protestation4 ,we should
 never lay open our sins but for  mercy4
 ,so it honors ,god2 and when ,he is    
honored1 ,he honors the soul  with      
inward peace and tranquillity40    ,old 
,thomas ,fuller says3 8,man's owning his
 weakness is the only stock  for ,god   
thereon to graft the grace of ,his      
assistance40    ,confession implies     
humility1 and this1 in ,god's sight1 is 
of great  price4    ,a farmer went with 
his son into a wheat field1 to see if it

 was ready  for the harvest4 8,see1     
father10 exclaimed the boy1 8how        
straight these  stems hold up their     
heads6 ,they must be the best ones4     
,those that  hang their heads down1 ,i  
am sure cannot be good for much40 ,the  
farmer  plucked a stalk of each kind and
 said3 8,see here1 foolish child6 ,this 
stalk that stood so straight is         
light-headed1 and almost good for       
nothing2 while this that hung its head  
so modestly is full of the most         
beautiful grain40    ,outspokenness is  
needful and powerful1 both with ,god and
 man4 ,we need  to be honest and frank  
with ourselves4 ,a soldier said in a    
revival  meeting3 8,my fellow-soldiers1 
,i am not excited2 ,i am convinced--that
  is all4 ,i feel that ,i ought to be a 
,christian2 that ,i ought to say  so1 to
 tell you so1 and to ask you to come    
with me2 and now if there  is a call for
 sinners seeking ,christ to come        
forward1 ,i for one shall  go--not to   
make a show1 for ,i have nothing but sin

 to show4 ,i do not  go because ,i want 
to--,i would rather keep my seat2 but   
going will be  telling the truth4 ,i    
ought to be a ,christian1 ,i want to be 
a ,christian2  and going forward for    
prayers is just telling the truth about 
it40 ,more  than a score went with him4 
,speaking of ,pharaoh's words1 8,entreat
 the ,lord that ,he may take away  the  
frogs from me10 ,mr4 ,spurgeon says3 8,a
 fatal flaw is manifest  in that prayer4
 ,it contains no confession of sin4 ,he 
says not1 #8,i  have rebelled against   
the ,lord2 entreat that ,i may find     
forgiveness6'  ,nothing of the kind2 he 
loves sin as much as ever4 ,a prayer    
without  penitence is a prayer without  
acceptance4 ,if no tear has fallen upon 
it1 it is withered4 ,thou must come to  
,god as a sinner through a ,savior1  but
 by no other way4 ,he who comes to ,god 
like the ,pharisee1 with1  #8,god1 ,i   
thank ,thee that ,i am not as other men 
are1' never draws near  to ,god at all2 
but he who cries1 #8,god be merciful to 

me a sinner1' has  come to ,god by the  
way which ,god has ,himself appointed4  
,there must be  confession of sin before
 ,god1 or our prayer is faulty40    ,if 
this confession of sin is deep among    
believers1 it will be so among  the     
ungodly also4 ,i never knew it to fail4 
,i am now anxious that ,god  should     
revive ,his work in the hearts of ,his  
children1 so that we may  see the       
exceeding sinfulness of sin4 ,there are 
a great many fathers and  mothers who   
are anxious for the conversion of their 
children4 ,i have  had as many as fifty 
messages from parents come to me within 
a single  week1 wondering why their     
children are not saved1 and asking      
prayer for  them4 ,i venture to say     
that1 as a rule1 the fault lies at our  
own door4  ,there may be something in   
our life that stands in the way4 ,it may
 be  there is some secret sin that keeps
 back the blessing4 ,david lived in  the
 awful sin into which he fell for many  
months before ,nathan made his          

appearance4 ,let us pray ,god to come   
into our hearts1 and make ,his power    
felt4 ,if it is a right eye1 let us     
pluck it out2 if it is a right hand1    
let us cut it off2 that we may have     
power with ,god and with man4    ,why is
 it that so many of our children are    
wandering off into the  drinking        
saloons1 and drifting away into         
infidelity--going down  to a dishonored 
grave8 ,there seems to be very little   
power in the  ,christianity of the      
present time4 ,many ,godly parents find 
that their  children are going astray4  
,does it arise from some secret sin     
clinging  around the heart8 ,there is a 
passage of ,god's ,word that is often   
quoted1 but in ninety-nine cases out of 
a hundred those who quote it  stop at   
the wrong place4 ,in the fifty-ninth of 
,isaiah we read3 8,behold1  the ,lord's 
hand is not shortened1 that it cannot   
save1 neither ,his ear  heavy1 that it  
cannot hear40 ,there they stop4 ,of     
course ,god's hand is  not shortened1   

and ,his ear is not heavy2 but we ought 
to read the next  verse3 8,your         
iniquities have separated between you   
and your ,god1 and  your sins have hid  
,his face from you1 that ,he will not   
hear4 ,for your  hands are defiled with 
blood1 and your fingers with iniquity2  
your lips  have spoken lies1 your tongue
 hath muttered perverseness40 ,as       
,mathew  ,henry says1 8,it was owing to 
themselves--they stood in their own     
light1  they shut their own door4 ,god  
was coming toward them in the way of    
mercy1 and they hindered ,him4 #8,your  
iniquities have kept good things  from  
you4'0    ,bear in mind that if we are  
regarding iniquity in our hearts1 or    
living  on a mere empty profession1 we  
have no claim to expect that our prayers
  will be answered4 ,there is not one   
solitary promise for us4 ,i sometimes   
tremble when ,i hear people quote       
promises1 and say that ,god is bound to 
fulfil those promises to them1 when all 
the time there is something in  their   

own lives which they are not willing to 
give up4 ,it is well for  us to search  
our hearts1 and find out why it is that 
our prayers are  not answered4    ,that 
is a very solemn passage in ,isaiah3    
8,hear the word of the ,lord1 ye rulers 
of ,sodom2 give ear unto the  law of our
 ,god1 ye people of ,gomorrah4 ,to what 
purpose is the  multitude of your       
sacrifices unto me8 saith the ,lord4 ,i 
am full of the  burnt-offerings of rams1
 and the fat of fed beasts1 and ,i      
delight not  in the blood of bullocks1  
or of lambs1 or of he goats4 ,when ye   
come  to speak before ,me1 who hath     
required this at your hand1 to tread ,my
  courts8 ,bring no more vain oblations2
 incense is an abomination unto  ,me2   
the new moons and ,sabbaths1 the calling
 of assemblies1 ,i cannot  away with--it
 is iniquity1 even the solemn meeting40 
8,even the solemn meeting60--think of   
that4 ,if ,god does not get our         
heart-services1 ,he will have none of   
it2 it is an abomination to ,him4       

8,your new moons and your appointed     
feasts ,my soul hateth2 they are a      
trouble unto ,me2 ,i am weary to bear   
them4 ,and when ye spread forth your    
hands1 ,i will hide ,mine eyes from you2
 yea1 when ye make many prayers1  ,i    
will not hear2 your hands are full of   
blood4 ,wash you1 make you  clean2 put  
away the evil of your doings from before
 ,mine eyes1 cease  to do evil1 learn to
 do well1 seek judgment1 relieve the    
oppressed1  judge the fatherless1 plead 
for the widow4 ,come now1 and let us    
reason  together1 saith the ,lord2      
though your sins be as scarlet1 they    
shall  be as white as snow2 though they 
be red like crimson1 they shall be as   
wool40    ,again we read in ,proverbs3  
8,he that turneth away his ear from     
hearing  the law1 even his prayer shall 
be abomination40 ,think of that6 ,it may
  shock some of us to think that our    
prayers are an abomination to ,god1  yet
 if any are living in known sin1 this is
 what ,god's ,word says about  them4 ,if

 we are not willing to turn from sin and
 obey ,god's law1 we  have no right to  
expect that ,he will answer our prayers4
 ,unconfessed  sin is unforgiven sin1   
and unforgiven sin is the darkest1      
foulest thing  on this sin-cursed earth4
 ,you cannot find a case in the ,bible  
where a  man has been honest in dealing 
with sin1 but ,god has been honest with 
him and blessed him4 ,the prayer of the 
humble and the contrite heart is  a     
delight to ,god4 ,there is no sound that
 goes up from this sin-cursed  earth so 
sweet to ,his ear as the prayer of the  
man who is walking  uprightly4    ,let  
me call attention to that prayer of     
,david1 in which he says3  8,search me1 
,o1 ,god1 and know my heart2 try me1 and
 know my thoughts1  and see if there be 
any wicked way in me1 and lead me in the
 way  everlasting60 ,i wish all my      
readers would commit these verses to    
memory4 ,if we should all honestly make 
this prayer once every day there  would 
be a good deal of change in our lives4  

8,search ,,me0--not my  neighbor4 ,it is
 so easy to pray for other people1 but  
so hard to get  home to ourselves4 ,i am
 afraid that we who are busy in the     
,lord's work1  are very often in danger 
of neglecting our vineyard4 ,in this    
,psalm1  ,david got home to himself4    
,there is a difference between ,god     
searching  me and my searching myself4  
,i may search my heart1 and pronounce it
 all  right1 but when ,god searches me  
as with a lighted candle1 a good many   
things will come to light that perhaps  
,i knew nothing about4    8,try me40    
,david was tried when he fell by taking 
his eye off from  the ,god of his father
 ,abraham4 8,know my thoughts40 ,god    
looks at the  thoughts4 ,are our        
thoughts pure8 ,have we in our hearts   
thoughts against  ,god or against ,his  
people--against any one in the world8   
,if we have1  we are not right in the   
sight of ,god4 ,oh1 may ,god search us1 
every one6  ,i do not know any better   
prayer that we can make than this prayer

 of  ,david4 ,one of the most solemn    
things in the ,scripture history is that
  when holy men--better men than we     
are--were tested and tried1 they were   
found to be as weak as water away from  
,god4    ,let us be sure that we are    
right4 ,isaac ,ambrose1 in his work on  
8,self  ,trial10 has the following pithy
 words3 8,now and then propose we to our
  hearts these two questions3 #a4       
#8,heart1 how dost thou8'--a few words1 
but a very serious question4 ,you know  
this is the first question and  the     
first salute that we use to one         
another--,how do you do8 ,i would to    
,god we sometimes thus spoke to our     
hearts3 #8,heart1 how dost thou8 ,how   
is it with thee1 for thy spiritual      
state8' #b4 #8,heart1 what wilt thou    
do8' or1 #8,heart1 what dost thou think 
will become of thee and me8'--as  that  
dying ,roman once said3 #8,poor1        
wretched1 miserable soul1 whither  art  
thou and ,i going--and what will become 
of thee1 when thou and ,i  shall part8' 

8,this very thing does ,moses propose to
 ,israel1 though in other terms1  #8,oh 
that they would consider their latter   
end6'--and oh that we would  put this   
question constantly to our hearts1 to   
consider and debate  upon6 #8,commune   
with your own hearts1' said ,david2 that
 is1 debate  the matter betwixt you and 
your hearts to the very utmost4 ,let    
your  hearts be so put to it in         
communing with them1 as that they may   
speak  their very bottom4 ,commune--or  
hold a serious communication and clear  
intelligence and acquaintance--with your
 own hearts40    ,it was the confession 
of a divine1 sensible of his neglect1   
and  especially of the difficulty of    
this duty3 8,i have lived10 said he1    
8forty years and somewhat more1 and     
carried my heart in my bosom all  this  
while1 and yet my heart and ,i are as   
great strangers1 and as  utterly        
unacquainted1 as if we had never come   
near one another4 ,nay1 ,i  know not my 
heart2 ,i have forgotten my heart4      

,alas6 alas6 that ,i could  be grieved  
at the very heart1 that my poor heart   
and ,i have been so  unacquainted6 ,we  
are fallen into an ,athenian age1       
spending our time  in nothing more than 
in telling or hearing news4 ,how go     
things here8  ,how there8 ,how in one   
place8 ,how in another8 ,but who is     
there that  is inquisitive8 ,how are    
things with my poor heart8 ,weigh but in
 the  balance of a serious              
consideration1 what time we have spent  
in this  duty1 and what time otherwise2 
and for many scores and hundreds of     
hours or days that we owe to our hearts 
in this duty1 can we write  fifty8 ,or  
where there should have been fifty      
vessels full of this duty1  can we find 
twenty1 or ten8 ,oh1 the days1 months1  
years1 we bestow upon  sin1 vanity1 the 
affairs of this world1 while we afford  
not a minute in  converse with our own  
hearts concerning their case60    ,if   
there is anything in our lives that is  
wrong1 let us ask ,god to show  it to   

us4 ,have we been selfish8 ,have we been
 more jealous of our own  reputation    
than of the honor of ,god8 ,elijah      
thought he was very jealous  for the    
honor of ,god2 but it turned out that it
 was his own honor after  all--self was 
really at the bottom of it4 ,one of the 
saddest things1  ,i think1 that ,christ 
had to meet with in ,his disciples was  
this very  thing2 there was a constant  
struggle between them as to who should  
be  the greatest1 instead of each one   
taking the humblest place and being     
least in his own estimation4    ,we are 
told in proof of this1 that 8,he came to
 ,capernaum2 and being in  the house ,he
 asked them1 ,what was it that ye       
disputed among yourselves  by the way8  
,but they held their peace1 for by the  
way they had disputed  among themselves1
 who should be the greatest4 ,and ,he   
sat down1 and  called the twelve1 and   
saith unto them1 ,if any man desire to  
be first1  the same shall be the last of
 all1 and servant of all4 ,and ,he took 

a  child1 and set him in the midst of   
them2 and when ,he had taken him  in    
,his arms1 ,he said unto them1          
,whosoever shall receive one of such    
children in ,my name1 receiveth ,me2 and
 whosoever shall receive ,me1  receiveth
 not ,me1 but ,him that sent ,me40      
,soon after 8,james and ,john1 the sons 
of ,zebedee1 come unto ,him1  saying1   
,master1 we would that ,thou shouldest  
do for us whatsoever we  shall desire4  
,and ,he said unto them1 ,what would ye 
that ,i should do  for you8 ,they said  
unto ,him1 ,grant unto us that we may   
sit1 one on ,thy  right hand1 and the   
other on ,thy left hand1 in ,thy glory4 
,but ,jesus  said unto them1 ,ye know   
not what ye ask2 can ye drink of the cup
 that  ,i drink of1 and be baptized with
 the baptism that ,i am baptized with8  
,and they said unto ,him1 ,we can4 ,and 
,jesus said unto them1 ,ye shall  indeed
 drink of the cup that ,i drink of2 and 
with the baptism that ,i  am baptized   
withal shall ye be baptized2 but to sit 

on ,my right hand  and on ,my left hand 
is not ,mine to give2 but it shall be   
given to them  for whom it is prepared4 
,and when the ten heard it1 they began  
to be  much displeased with ,james and  
,john4 ,but ,jesus called them to ,him1 
and  saith unto them3 ,ye know that they
 which are accounted to rule over the   
,gentiles exercise lordship over them2  
and their great ones exercise  authority
 upon them4 ,but so shall it not be     
among you2 but whosoever  will be great 
among you1 shall be your minister2 and  
whosoever of you  will be the chiefest1 
shall be servant of all4 ,for even the  
,son of ,man  came not to be ministered 
unto1 but to minister1 and to give ,his 
life a  ransom for many40    ,the latter
 words were spoken in the third year of 
,his ministry4 ,three  years the        
disciples had been with ,him2 they had  
listened to the words  that fell from   
,his lips2 yet they had failed to learn 
this lesson of  humility4 ,the most     
humiliating thing that happened among   

the chosen  twelve occurred on the night
 of our ,lord's betrayal1 when ,judas   
sold  ,him1 and ,peter denied ,him4 ,if 
there was any place where there should  
have been an absence of these thoughts1 
it was at the ,supper-table4  ,yet we   
find that when ,christ instituted that  
blessed memorial there  was a debate    
going on among ,his disciples who should
 be the greatest4  ,think of            
that6--right under the ,cross1 when the 
,master was 8exceeding  sorrowful1 even 
unto death20 was already tasting the    
bitterness of  ,calvary1 and the horrors
 of that dark hour were gathering upon  
,his soul4    ,i think if ,god searches 
us1 we will find a good many things in  
our  lives for us to confess4 ,if we are
 tried and tested by ,god's law1 there  
will be many1 many things that will have
 to be changed4 ,i ask again3  ,are we  
selfish or jealous8 ,are we willing to  
hear of others being used  of ,god more 
than we are8 ,are our ,methodist friends
 willing to hear of a  great revival of 

,god's work among the ,baptists8 ,would 
it rejoice their  souls to hear of such 
efforts being blessed8 ,are ,baptists   
willing to  hear of a reviving of ,god's
 work in the ,methodist1                
,congregational1 or  other churches8 ,if
 we are full of narrow1 party and       
sectarian feelings1  there will be many 
things to be laid aside4 ,let us pray to
 ,god to  search us1 and try us1 and see
 if there be any evil way in us4 ,if    
these  holy and good men felt that they 
were faulty1 should we not tremble1  and
 endeavor to find out if there is       
anything in our lives that ,god  would  
have us get rid of8    ,once again1 let 
me call your attention to the prayer of 
,david contained  in the fifty-first    
,psalm4 ,a friend of mine told me some  
years ago  that he repeated this prayer 
as his own every week4 ,i think it would
  be a good thing if we offered up these
 petitions frequently2 let them  go     
right up from our hearts4 ,if we have   
been proud1 or irritable1 or  lacking in

 patience1 shall we not at once confess 
it8 ,is it not time  that we began at   
home1 and got our lives straightened    
out8 ,see how  quickly the ungodly will 
then begin to inquire the way of life6  
,let  those of us who are parents set   
our own houses in order1 and be filled  
with ,christ's ,spirit2 then it will not
 be long before our children will  be   
inquiring what they must do to get the  
same ,spirit4 ,i believe that  to-day1  
by its lukewarmness and formality1 the  
,christian ,church is  making more      
infidels than all the books that        
infidels ever wrote4 ,i do  not fear    
infidel lectures half so much as the    
cold and dead formalism  in the         
professing church at the present time4  
,one prayer-meeting like  that the      
disciples had on the day of ,pentecost1 
would shake the whole  infidel          
fraternity4    ,what we want is to get  
hold of ,god in prayer4 ,you are not    
going to  reach the masses by great     
sermons4 ,we want to 8move the ,arm that

 moves  the world40 ,to do that1 we must
 be clear and right before ,god4 8,for  
if  our heart condemn us1 ,god is       
greater than our heart1 and knoweth all 
things1 ,beloved1 if our heart condemn  
us not1 then have we confidence  toward 
,god2 and whatsoever we ask1 we receive 
of ,him1 because we keep  ,his          
commandments1 and do those things that  
are pleasing in ,his sight40            
,confession4        8,no1 not           
despairingly      ,come ,i to ,thee2    
,no1 not distrustingly      ,bend ,i the
 knee2    ,sin hath gone over me1       
,yet is this still my plea1      ,jesus 
hath died4      8,ah1 mine iniquity     
,crimson has been2    ,infinite1        
infinite1      ,sin upon sin2    ,sin of
 not loving ,thee1    ,sin of not       
trusting ,thee4      ,infinite sin4     
8,lord1 ,i confess to ,thee      ,sadly 
my sin2    ,all ,i am1 tell ,i ,thee1   
,all ,i have been4    ,purge ,thou my   
sin away1    ,wash ,thou my soul this   
day2      ,lord1 make me clean60        

--,dr4 ,h4 ,bonar4          ,,chapter   
,,iv4    ,,restitution4      ,a third   
element of successful prayer is         
,,restitution4 ,if ,i have at  any time 
taken what does not belong to me1 and am
 not willing to  make restitution1 my   
prayers will not go very far toward     
heaven4 ,it  is a singular thing1 but ,i
 have never touched on this subject in  
my  addresses1 without hearing of       
immediate results4 ,a man once told me  
that ,i would not need to dwell on this 
point at a meeting ,i was about  to     
address1 as probably there would be no  
one present that would need  to make    
restitution4 ,but ,i think if the       
,spirit of ,god searches our  hearts1 we
 shall most of us find a good many      
things have to be done  that we never   
thought of before4    ,after ,zaccheus  
met with ,christ1 things looked         
altogether different4  ,i venture to say
 that the idea of making restitution    
never entered  into his mind before4 ,he
 thought1 probably1 that morning that he

 was a  perfectly honest man4 ,but when 
the ,lord came and spoke to him1 he saw 
himself in an altogether different      
light4 ,notice how short his speech     
was4 ,the only thing put on record that 
he said was this3 8,behold1 ,lord1  the 
half of my goods ,i give to the poor2   
and if ,i have taken anything  from any 
man by false accusation1 ,i restore him 
fourfold40 ,a short  speech2 but how the
 words have come ringing down through   
the ages6    ,by making that remark he  
confessed his sin--that he had been     
dishonest4  ,besides that1 he showed    
that he knew the requirements of the law
 of  ,moses4 ,if a man had taken what   
did not belong to him1 he was not only  
to return it1 but to multiply it by     
four4 ,i think that men in this         
dispensation ought to be fully as honest
 as men under the ,law4 ,i am  getting  
so tired and sick of your mere          
sentimentalism1 that does not           
straighten out a man's life4 ,we may    
sing our hymns and psalms1 and  offer   

prayers1 but they will be an abomination
 to ,god1 unless we are  willing to be  
thoroughly straightforward in our daily 
life4 ,nothing  will give ,christianity 
such a hold upon the world as to have   
,god's  believing people begin to act in
 this way4 ,zaccheus had probably more  
influence in ,jericho after he made     
restitution than any other man in it4   
,finney1 in his lectures to professing  
,christians1 says3 8,one reason  for the
 requirement1 #8,be not conformed to    
this world1' is the immense1  salutary1 
and instantaneous influence it would    
have1 if everybody would  do business on
 the principles of the ,gospel4 ,turn   
the tables over1 and  let ,christians do
 business one year on ,gospel           
principles4 ,it would  shake the world6 
,it would ring louder than thunder4 ,let
 the ungodly  see professing ,christians
 in every bargain consulting the good of
 the  person they are trading           
with--seeking not their own wealth1 but 
every  man another's wealth--living     

above the world--setting no value on the
  world any further than it would be the
 means of glorifying ,god2 what do  you 
think would be the effect8 ,it would    
cover the world with confusion  of face1
 and overwhelm them with conviction of  
sin40    ,finney makes one grand mark of
 genuine repentance to be restitution4  
8,the thief has not repented who keeps  
the money he stole4 ,he may have        
conviction1 but no repentance4 ,if he   
had repentance1 he would go and  give   
back the money4 ,if you have cheated any
 one1 and do not restore  what you have 
taken unjustly2 or if you have injured  
any one1 and do  not set about to undo  
the wrong you have done1 as far as in   
you lies1  you have not truly repented40
    ,in ,exodus we read--8,if a man     
steal an ox1 or a sheep1 and kill it1   
or sell it1 he shall restore five oxen  
for an ox1 and four sheep  for a sheep40
 ,and again3 8,if a man shall cause a   
field or vineyard  to be eaten1 and     
shall put in his beast1 and shall feed  

in another  man's field2 of the best of 
his own field1 and of the best of his   
own  vineyard shall he make restitution4
 ,if fire break out1 and catch in       
thorns1 so that the stacks of corn1 or  
the standing corn1 or the field1  be    
consumed therewith1 he that kindled the 
fire shall surely make  restitution40   
,or turn to ,leviticus1 where the law of
 the trespass-offering is laid          
down--the same point is there insisted  
on with equal clearness and  force4     
8,if a soul sin1 and commit a trespass  
against the ,lord1 and lie unto  his    
neighbor in that which was delivered him
 to keep1 or in fellowship1  or in a    
thing taken away by violence1 or hath   
deceived his neighbor2 or  have found   
that which was lost1 and lieth          
concerning it1 and sweareth  falsely2 in
 any of all these that a man doeth1     
sinning therein2 then  it shall be1     
because he hath sinned and is guilty1   
that he shall  restore that which he    
took violently away1 or the thing which 

he  hath deceitfully gotten1 or that    
which was delivered him to keep1 or  the
 lost thing which he found1 or all that 
about which he hath sworn  falsely2 he  
shall even restore it in the principal1 
and shall add the  fifth part more      
thereto1 and give it unto him to whom it
 appertaineth1  in the day of his       
trespass offering40    ,the same thing  
is repeated in ,numbers1 where we       
read--8,and the ,lord  spake unto       
,moses1 saying1 ,speak unto the children
 of ,israel1 ,when a  man or woman shall
 commit any sin that men commit1 to do a
 trespass  against the ,lord1 and that  
person be guilty2 then they shall       
confess  their sin which they have done2
 and he shall recompense his trespass   
with the principal thereof1 and add unto
 it the fifth part thereof1  and give it
 unto him against whom he hath          
trespassed4 ,but if the man  have no    
kinsman to recompense the trespass unto1
 let the trespass be  recompensed unto  
the ,lord1 even to the priest1 beside   

the ram of the  atonement1 whereby an   
atonement shall be made of him40        
,these were the laws that ,god laid down
 for ,his people1 and ,i believe  their 
principle is as binding to-day as it was
 then4 ,if we have taken  anything from 
any man1 if we have in any way defrauded
 a man1 let us  not only confess it1 but
 do all we can to make restitution4 ,if 
we have  misrepresented any one--if we  
have started some slander1 or some false
  report about him--let us do all in our
 power to undo the wrong4    ,it is in  
reference to a practical righteousness  
such as this that ,god  says in         
,isaiah--8,behold1 ye fast for strife   
and debate1 and to smite  with the fist 
of wickedness2 ye shall not fast as ye  
do this day1 to  make your voice to be  
heard on high4 ,is it such a fast that  
,i have  chosen8 ,a day for a man to    
afflict his soul8 ,is it to bow down his
  head as a bulrush1 and to spread      
sackcloth and ashes under him8 ,wilt    
thou call this a fast1 and an acceptable

 day to the ,lord8 ,is not this  the    
fast that ,i have chosen--to loose the  
bands of wickedness1 to undo  the heavy 
burdens1 and to let the oppressed go    
free1 and that ye break  every yoke8 ,is
 it not to deal thy bread to the hungry1
 and that thou  bring the poor that are 
cast out to thy house8 ,when thou seest 
the  naked1 that thou cover him1 and    
that thou hide not thyself from thine   
own flesh8 ,then shall thy light break  
forth as the morning1 and thine  health 
shall spring forth speedily2 and thy    
righteousness shall go  before thee1 the
 glory of the ,lord shall be thy reward4
 ,then shalt thou  call1 and the ,lord  
shall answer2 thou shalt cry1 and ,he   
shall say1 ,here  ,i am40    ,trapp in  
his comment on ,zaccheus1 says3 8,sultan
 ,selymus could tell his  councillor    
,pyrrhus1 who persuaded him to bestow   
the great wealth he had  taken from the 
,persian merchants upon some notable    
hospital for relief  of the poor1 that  
,god hates robbery for burnt-offering4  

,the dying ,turk  commanded it rather to
 be restored to the right owners1 which 
was done  accordingly1 to the great     
shame of many ,christians1 who mind     
nothing  less than restitution4 ,when   
,henry ,,iii of ,england had sent the   
,friar  ,minors a load of frieze to     
clothe them1 they returned the same with
  this message1 #8that he ought not to  
give alms of what he had rent from  the 
poor2 neither would they accept of that 
abominable gift4' ,master  ,latimer     
saith1 #8,if ye make no restitution of  
goods detained1 ye shall  cough in hell1
 and the devils shall laugh at you4'    
,henry ,,vii1 in his  last will and     
testament1 after the disposition of his 
soul and body1  devised and willed      
restitution should be made of all such  
moneys as had  unjustly been levied by  
his officers4 ,queen ,mary restored     
again all  ecclesiastical livings       
assumed to the crown1 saying that she   
set more  by the salvation of her own   
soul1 than she did by ten kingdoms4 ,a  

bull  came also from the ,pope1 at the  
same time1 that others should do the    
like1 but none did4 ,latimer tells us   
that the first day he preached  about   
restitution1 one came and gave him #bj  
to restore2 the next day  another       
brought him #cj2 another time another   
gave him #bjj4    8,mr4 ,bradford1      
hearing ,latimer on that subject1 was   
struck in the heart  for one dash of the
 pen which he had made without the      
knowledge of his  master1 and could     
never be quiet till1 by the advice of   
,mr4 ,latimer1  restitution was made1   
for which he did willingly forego all   
the private  and certain patrimony which
 he had on earth4 #8,i1 myself1' saith  
,mr4  ,barroughs1 #8knew one man who had
 wronged another but of five shillings1 
and fifty years after could not be quiet
 till he had restored it4'0    ,if there
 is true repentance it will bring forth 
fruit4 ,if we have done  wrong to some  
one1 we should never ask ,god to forgive
 us until we are  willing to make       

restitution4 ,if ,i have done any man a 
great injustice  and can make it good1  
,i need not ask ,god to forgive me until
 ,i am  willing to do so4 ,suppose ,i   
have taken something that does not      
belong  to me4 ,i cannot expect         
forgiveness until ,i make restitution4  
,i remember  preaching in an ,eastern   
city1 and a fine-looking man came up to 
me at  the close4 ,he was in great      
distress of mind4 8,the fact is10 he    
said1  8,i am a defaulter4 ,i have taken
 money that belonged to my employers4   
,how can ,i become a ,christian without 
restoring it80 8,have you got the       
money80 ,he told me he had not got it   
all4 ,he had taken about #a1ejj         
dollars1 and he still had about #ijj4   
,he said1 8,could ,i not take that      
money and go into business1 and make    
enough to pay them back80 ,i told  him  
that was a delusion of ,satan1 that he  
could not expect to prosper  on stolen  
money2 that he should restore all he    
had1 and go and ask his  employers to   

have mercy upon him1 and forgive him4   
8,but they will put  me in prison10 he  
said4 8,can you not give me any help80  
8,no2 you must  restore the money before
 you can expect to get any help from    
,god40  8,it is pretty hard10 he said4  
8,yes1 it is hard2 but the great mistake
  was in doing the wrong at first40 ,his
 burden became so heavy that it  was1 in
 fact1 unbearable4 ,he handed me the    
money--#iej dollars and some  cents--and
 asked me to take it back to his        
employers4 ,i told them the  story1 and 
said that he wanted mercy from them1 not
 justice4 ,the tears  trickled down the 
cheeks of these two men1 and they said1 
8,forgive him6  ,yes1 we will be glad to
 forgive him40 ,i went down stairs and  
brought  him up4 ,after he had confessed
 his guilt and been forgiven1 we all    
fell  down on our knees and had a       
blessed prayer-meeting4 ,god met us and 
blessed us there4    ,there was another 
friend of mine who had come to ,christ  
and was trying  to consecrate himself   

and his wealth to ,god4 ,he had formerly
 had  transactions with the ,government1
 and had taken advantage of them4  ,this
 thing came to memory1 and his          
conscience troubled him4 ,he had a      
terrible struggle2 his conscience kept  
rising up and smiting him4 ,at  last he 
drew a check for #aejj dollars1 and sent
 it to the ,treasury of  the            
,government4 ,he told me he received    
such a blessing after he had  done it4  
,that is bringing forth fruits meet for 
repentance4 ,i believe a  great many men
 are crying to ,god for light2 and they 
are not getting it  because they are not
 honest4    ,a man came to one of our   
meetings1 when this subject was touched 
upon4  ,the memory of a dishonest       
transaction flashed into his mind4 ,he  
saw at  once how it was that his prayers
 were not answered1 but 8returned into  
his own bosom10 as the ,scripture phrase
 puts it4 ,he left the meeting1  took   
the train1 and went to a distant city1  
where he had defrauded his  employer    

years before4 ,he went straight to this 
man1 confessed the  wrong1 and offered  
to make restitution4 ,then he remembered
 another  transaction1 in which he had  
failed to meet the just demands upon    
him2  he at once made arrangements to   
have a large amount repaid4 ,he came    
back to the place where we were holding 
the meetings1 and ,god blessed  him     
wonderfully in his own soul4 ,i have not
 met a man for a long time  who seemed  
to have received such a blessing4       
,some years ago1 in the north of        
,england1 a woman came to one of the    
meetings1 and appeared to be very       
anxious about her soul4 ,for some  time 
she did not seem to be able to get      
peace4 ,the truth was1 she was  covering
 up one thing that she was not willing  
to confess4 ,at last1 the  burden was   
too great2 and she said to a worker3 8,i
 never go down on  my knees to pray1 but
 a few bottles of wine keep coming up   
before my  mind40 ,it appeared that     
years before1 when she was housekeeper1 

she had  taken some bottles of wine     
belonging to her employer4 ,the worker  
said3  8,why do you not make            
restitution80 ,the woman replied that   
the man was  dead2 and besides1 she did 
not know how much it was worth4 8,are   
there  any heirs living to whom you can 
make restitution80 ,she said there  was 
a son living at some distance2 but she  
thought it would be a very  humiliating 
thing1 so she kept back for some time4  
,at last she felt as  if she must have a
 clear conscience at any cost1 so she   
took the train1  and went to the place  
where the son of her employer resided4  
,she took  five pounds with her1 she did
 not exactly know what the wine was     
worth1  but that would cover it at any  
rate4 ,the man said he did not want the 
money1 but she replied1 8,i do not want 
it2 it has burnt my pocket long         
enough40 ,so he agreed to take the half 
of it1 and give it to some  charitable  
object4 ,then she came back2 and ,i     
think she was one of the  happiest      

mortals ,i have ever met with4 ,she said
 she could not tell  whether she was in 
the body or out of it--such a blessing  
had come to  her soul4    ,it may be    
that there is something in our lives    
that needs straightening  out2 something
 that happened perhaps twenty years ago1
 and that has  been forgotten till the  
,spirit of ,god brought it to our       
remembrance4 ,if  we are not willing to 
make restitution1 we cannot expect ,god 
to give us  great blessing4 ,perhaps    
that is the reason so many of our       
prayers are  not answered4              
,perfect ,cleansing4        8,who would 
be cleansed from every sin1    ,must to 
,god's holy altar bring        ,the     
whole of life--its joys1 its tears1     
,its hopes1 its loves1 its powers1 its  
years1    ,the will1 and every cherished
 thing6      8,must make this sweeping  
sacrifice--        ,choose ,god1 and    
dare reproach and shame1        ,and    
boldly stand in storm or flame    ,for  
,him who paid redemption's price2       

,then trust 7not struggle to believe71  
,and trusting wait1 nor doubt1 but pray 
,that in ,his own good time ,he'll say1 
#8,thy faith hath saved thee2 now       
receive4'      8,his time is when the   
soul brings all1        ,is all upon    
,his altar lain2        ,when pride and 
self-conceit are slain1    ,and         
crucified with ,christ1 we fall         
,helpless upon ,his word1 and lie2      
,when1 faithful to ,his word1 we feel   
,the cleansing touch1 the ,spirit's     
seal1    ,and know that ,he does        
sanctify40                              
,a4 ,t4 ,allis4          ,,chapter ,v4  
,,thanksgiving4      ,the next thing ,i 
would mention as an element of prayer is
 ,,thanksgiving4  ,we ought to be more  
thankful for what we get from ,god4     
,perhaps  some of you mothers have a    
child in your family who is constantly  
complaining--never thankful4 ,you know  
that there is not much pleasure  in     
doing anything for a child like that4   
,if you meet with a beggar who  is      

always grumbling1 and never seems to be 
thankful for what you give1  you very   
soon shut the door in his face          
altogether4 ,ingratitude is  about the  
hardest thing we have to meet with4 ,the
 great ,english poet  says3      8,blow1
 blow1 thou winter wind--    ,thou art  
not so unkind      ,as man's            
ingratitude2    ,thy tooth is not so    
keen1    ,because thou art not seen1    
,although thy breath be rude40    ,we   
cannot speak too plainly of this evil1  
which so demeans those who  are guilty  
of it4 ,even in ,christians there is but
 too much of it to be  seen4 ,here we   
are1 getting blessings from ,god day    
after day2 yet how  little praise and   
thanksgiving there is in the ,church of 
,god6    ,gurnall1 in his ,christian    
,armor1 referring to the words1 8,in    
everything give thanks10 says3          
8#8,praise is comely for the upright4'  
#8,an unthankful saint' carries a       
contradiction with it4 ,evil and        
,unthankful are twins that live and die 

together2 as any one ceaseth  to be     
evil1 he begins to be thankful4 ,it is  
that which ,god expects at  your hands2 
,he made you for this end4 ,when the    
vote passed in heaven  for your         
being--yea1 happy being in ,christ6--it 
was upon this account1  that you should 
be a name and a praise to ,him on earth 
in time1 and  in heaven to eternity4    
,should ,god miss this1 ,he would fail  
of one  main part of ,his design4 ,what 
prompts ,him to bestow every mercy1 but 
to afford you matter to compose a song  
for ,his praise8 #8,they are ,my        
people1 children that will not lie2 so  
,he was their ,savior4'    8,he looks   
for fair dealing at your hands4 ,whom   
may a father trust with  his reputation1
 if not his child8 ,where can a prince  
expect honor1 if  not among his         
favorites8 ,your state is such that the 
least mercy you  have is more than all  
the world besides4 ,thou1 ,christian1   
and thy few  brethren1 divide heaven and
 earth among you6 ,what hath ,god that  

,he  withholds from you8 ,sun1 moon and 
stars are set up to give you light2  sea
 and land have their treasures for your 
use2 others are encroachers  upon them2 
you are the rightful heirs to them2 they
 groan that any  others should be served
 by them4 ,the angels1 bad and good1    
minister  unto you2 the evil1 against   
their will1 are forced like scullions   
when  they tempt you1 to scour and      
brighten your graces1 and make way for  
your greater comforts2 the good angels  
are servants to your heavenly  ,father1 
and disdain not to carry you in their   
arms4 ,your ,god withholds  not ,himself
 from you2 ,he is your portion--,father1
 ,husband1 ,friend4 ,god  is ,his own   
happiness1 and admits you to enjoy ,him4
 ,oh1 what honor is  this1 for the      
subject to drink in his prince's cup6   
#8,thou shalt make  them drink of the   
river of ,thy pleasures4' ,and all this 
is not the  purchase of your sweat and  
blood2 the feast is paid for by         
,another1  only ,he expects your thanks 

to the ,founder4 ,no sin-offering is    
imposed  under the ,gospel2             
thank-offerings are all ,he looks for40 
,charnock1 in discoursing on ,spiritual 
,worship1 says3 8,the praise of  ,god is
 the choicest sacrifice and worship1    
under a dispensation of  redeeming      
grace4 ,this is the prime and eternal   
part of worship under  the ,gospel4 ,the
 ,psalmist1 speaking of the ,gospel     
times1 spurs on to  this kind of        
worship3 #8,sing unto the ,lord a new   
song2 let the children  of ,zion be     
joyful in their ,king2 let the saints be
 joyful in glory2  let them sing aloud  
upon their beds2 let the high praises of
 ,god be in  their mouth4' ,he begins   
and ends both ,psalms with ,praise ye   
the ,lord6  ,that cannot be a spiritual 
and evangelical worship that hath       
nothing  of the praise of ,god in the   
heart4 ,the consideration of ,god's     
adorable  perfections discovered in the 
,gospel will make us come to ,him with  
more  seriousness1 beg blessings of ,him

 with more confidence1 fly to ,him  with
 a winged faith and love1 and more      
spiritually glorify ,him in our         
attendances upon ,him40    ,there is a  
great deal more said in the ,bible about
 praise than prayer2  yet how few       
praise-meetings there are6 ,david1 in   
his ,psalms1 always  mixes praise with  
prayer4 ,solomon prevailed much with    
,god in prayer at  the dedication of the
 temple2 but it was the voice of praise 
which  brought down the glory that      
filled the house2 for we read3 8,and it 
came to pass1 when the priests were come
 out of the holy place 7for  all the    
priests that were present were          
sanctified1 and did not then  wait by   
course2 also the ,levites1 which were   
the singers1 all of them  of ,asaph1 of 
,heman1 of ,jeduthun1 with their sons   
and their brethren1  being arrayed in   
white linen1 having cymbals1 and        
psalteries1 and  harps1 stood at the    
east end of the altar1 and with them a  
hundred and  twenty priests1 sounding   

with trumpets72 it came even to pass1 as
 the  trumpeters and singers were as    
one1 to make one sound to be heard in   
praising and thanking the ,lord2 and    
when they lifted up their voice  with   
the trumpets1 and cymbals1 and          
instruments of music1 and praised  the  
,lord1 saying1 #8,for ,he is good2 for  
,his mercy endureth forever2'  that then
 the house was filled with a cloud1 even
 the house of the  ,lord2 so that the   
priests could not stand to minister by  
reason of the  cloud1 for the glory of  
the ,lord had filled the house of ,god40
    ,we read1 too1 of ,jehoshaphat1 that
 he gained the victory over the  hosts  
of ,ammon and ,moab through praise1     
which was excited by faith and          
thankfulness to ,god4    8,and they rose
 early in the morning1 and went forth   
into the wilderness  of ,tekoa2 and as  
they went forth1 ,jehoshaphat stood and 
said1 #8,hear me1  ,o ,judah1 and ye    
inhabitants of ,jerusalem2 believe in   
the ,lord your ,god1  so shall ye be    

established2 believe ,his prophets1 so  
shall ye prosper2'  and when he had     
consulted with the people1 he appointed 
singers unto  the ,lord1 and that should
 praise the beauty of holiness1 as they 
went  out before the army1 and to say1  
#8,praise the ,lord2 for ,his mercy     
endureth for ever1' ,and when they began
 to sing and to praise1 the ,lord  set  
ambushments against the children of     
,ammon1 ,moab1 and ,mount ,seir1  which 
were come against ,judah2 and they were 
smitten40    ,it is said that in a time 
of great despondency among the first    
settlers  in ,new ,england1 it was      
proposed in one of their public         
assemblies to  proclaim a fast4 ,an old 
farmer arose2 spoke of their provoking  
heaven  with their complaints1 reviewed 
their measures1 showed that they had    
much to be thankful for1 and moved that 
instead of appointing a day of  fasting1
 they should appoint a day of           
thanksgiving4 ,this was done2 and  the  
custom has been continued ever since4   

,however great our difficulties1 or deep
 even our sorrows1 there is room  for   
thankfulness4 ,thomas ,adams has said3  
8,lay up in the ark of thy  memory not  
only the pot of manna1 the bread of     
life2 but even ,aaron's  rod1 the very  
scourge of correction1 wherewith thou   
hast been bettered4  ,blessed be the    
,lord1 not only giving1 but taking away1
 saith ,job4 ,god  who sees there is no 
walking upon roses to heaven1 puts ,his 
children  into the way of discipline2   
and by the fire of correction eats out  
the  rust of corruption4 ,god sends     
trouble1 then bids us call upon ,him2   
promiseth our deliverance2 and lastly1  
the all ,he requires of us is to        
glorify ,him4 ,call upon ,me in the day 
of trouble2 ,i will deliver thee1  and  
thou shalt glorify ,me40 ,like the      
nightingale1 we can sing in the  night1 
and say with ,john ,newton--            
8,since all that ,i meet shall work for 
my good1    ,the bitter is sweet1 the   
medicine food2    ,though painful at    

present1 'twill cease before long1      
,and then--oh1 how pleasant6--the       
conqueror's song40    ,among all the    
apostles none suffered so much as ,paul2
 but none of  them do we find so often  
giving thanks as he4 ,take his letter to
 the  ,philippians4 ,remember what he   
suffered at ,philippi2 how they laid    
many stripes upon him1 and cast him into
 prison4 ,yet every chapter  in that    
,epistle speaks of rejoicing and giving 
thanks4 ,there is that  well-known      
passage3 8,be careful for nothing1 but  
in everything1 by  prayer and           
supplication1 with thanksgiving1 let    
your requests be made  known unto ,god40
 ,as some one has said1 there are here  
three precious  ideas3 8,careful for    
nothing2 prayerful for everything2 and  
thankful  for anything40 ,we always get 
more by being thankful for what ,god has
  done for us4 ,paul says again3 8,we   
give thanks to ,god1 the ,father of our 
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 praying always for
 you40 ,so he was constantly giving     

thanks4 ,take up any one of his         
,epistles1 and you will find them full  
of  praise to ,god4    ,even if nothing 
else called for thankfulness1 it would  
always be an  ample cause for it that   
,jesus ,christ loved us1 and gave       
,himself for us4  ,a farmer was once    
found kneeling at a soldier's grave near
 ,nashville4  ,some one came to him and 
said3 8,why do you pay so much attention
 to  this grave8 ,was your son buried   
here80 8,no10 he said4 8,during the war 
my family were all sick1 ,i knew not how
 to leave them4 ,i was drafted4  ,one of
 my neighbors came over and said3 #8,i  
will go for you2 ,i have no  family4'   
,he went off4 ,he was wounded at        
,chickamauga4 ,he was carried to  the   
hospital1 and there died4 ,and1 sir1 ,i 
have come a great many miles1  that ,i  
might write over his grave these words1 
#8,he died for me4'0    ,this the       
believer can always say of his blessed  
,savior1 and in the fact  may well      
rejoice4 8,by ,him therefore1 let us    

offer the sacrifice of  praise          
continually1 that is1 the fruit of our  
lips1 giving thanks to  ,his name40     
,the ,praise of ,god4        8,speak1   
lips of mine6        ,and tell abroad   
,the praises of my ,god4    ,speak1     
stammering tongue6        ,in gladdest  
tone1        ,make ,his high praises    
known4      8,speak1 sea and earth6     
,heaven's utmost star1        ,speak    
from your realms afar6    ,take up the  
note1        ,and send it round         
,creation's farthest bound4             
8,speak1 heaven of heavens6             
,wherein our ,god        ,has made ,his 
bright abode4    ,speak1 angels1 speak6 
,in songs proclaim        ,his          
everlasting name4      8,speak1 son of  
dust6        ,thy flesh ,he took        
,and heaven for thee forsook4    ,speak1
 child of death6        ,thy death ,he  
died1        ,bless thou the            
,crucified40                            
--,dr4 ,bonar4          ,,chapter ,,vi4 
,,forgiveness4      ,the next thing is  

perhaps the most difficult of all to    
deal  with--,,forgiveness4 ,i believe   
this is keeping more people from having 
power with ,god than any other          
thing--they are not willing to cultivate
  the spirit of forgiveness4 ,if we     
allow the root of bitterness to spring  
up in our hearts against some one1 our  
prayer will not be answered4 ,it  may   
not be an easy thing to live in sweet   
fellowship with all those  with whom we 
come in contact2 but that is what the   
grace of ,god is  given to us for4      
,the disciples' prayer is a test of     
sonship2 if we can pray it all from  the
 heart we have good reason to think that
 we have been born of ,god4  ,no man can
 call ,god ,father but by the ,spirit4  
,though this prayer has  been such a    
blessing to the world1 ,i believe it has
 been a great snare2  many stumble over 
it into perdition4 ,they do not weigh   
its meaning1  nor take its facts right  
into their hearts4 ,i have no sympathy  
with  the idea of universal             

sonship--that all men are the sons of   
,god4 ,the  ,bible teaches very plainly 
that we are adopted into the family of  
,god4  ,if all were sons ,god would not 
need to adopt any4 ,we are all ,god's by
  creation2 but when people teach that  
any man can say1 8,our ,father which    
art in heaven10 whether he is born of   
,god or not1 ,i think that is  contrary 
to ,scripture4 8,as many as are led by  
the ,spirit of ,god1 they  are the sons 
of ,god40 ,sonship in the family is the 
privilege of the  believer4 8,in this   
the children of ,god are manifest1 and  
the children  of the devil10 says the   
,apostle4 ,if we are doing the will of  
,god1 that  is a very good sign that we 
are born of ,god4 ,if we have no desire 
to do  that will1 how can we call ,god  
8,our ,father80    ,another thing4 ,we  
cannot really pray for ,god's kingdom to
 come until  we are in it4 ,if we should
 pray for the coming of ,god's kingdom  
while we are rebelling against ,him1 we 
are only seeking for our own            

condemnation4 ,no unrenewed man really  
wants ,god's will to be done on  the    
earth4 ,you might write over the door of
 every unsaved man's house1  and over   
his place of business1 8,god's will is  
not done here40    ,if the nations were 
really to put up this prayer1 all their 
armies  could be discharged4 ,they tell 
us there are some twelve millions of men
  in the standing armies of ,europe     
alone4 ,but men do not want ,god's will 
done on earth as it is in heaven2 that  
is the trouble4    ,now let us come to  
the part ,i want to dwell upon3         
8,forgive us our  trespasses1 as we     
forgive them that trespass against us40 
,this is the  only part of the prayer   
that ,christ explained4    8,for if ye  
forgive men their trespasses1 your      
heavenly ,father will also  forgive you2
 but if ye forgive not men their        
trespasses1 neither will  your ,father  
forgive your trespasses40    ,notice    
that when you go into the door of ,god's
 kingdom1 you go in  through the door of

 forgiveness4 ,i never knew of a man    
getting a  blessing in his own soul1 if 
he was not willing to forgive others4   
,if we are unwilling to forgive others1 
,god cannot forgive us4 ,i do  not know 
how language could be more plain than it
 is in these words  of our ,lord4 ,i    
firmly believe a great many prayers are 
not answered  because we are not willing
 to forgive some one4 ,let your mind go 
back  over the past1 and through the    
circle of your acquaintance2 are there  
any against whom you are cherishing hard
 feelings8 ,is there any root  of       
bitterness springing up against some one
 who has perhaps injured  you8 ,it may  
be that for months or years you have    
been nursing this  unforgiving spirit2  
how can you ask ,god to forgive you8 ,if
 ,i am not  willing to forgive those who
 may have committed some single offence 
against me1 what a mean1 contemptible   
thing it would be for me to ask  ,god to
 forgive the ten thousand sins of which 
,i have been guilty6    ,but ,christ    

goes still further4 ,he says3 8,if thou 
bring thy gift to  the altar1 and there 
rememberest that thy brother hath aught 
against  thee2 leave there thy gift     
before the altar1 and go thy way2 first 
be  reconciled to thy brother1 and then 
come and offer thy gift40 ,it may be    
that you are saying3 8,i do not know    
that ,i have anything against any  one40
 ,has any one anything against you8 ,is 
there some one who thinks  you have done
 them wrong8 ,perhaps you have not2 but 
it may be they  think you have4 ,i will 
tell you what ,i would do before ,i go  
to sleep  to-night2 ,i would go and see 
them1 and have the question settled4    
,you  will find that you will be greatly
 blessed in the very act4    ,supposing 
you are in the right and they are in the
 wrong2 you may  win your brother or    
sister4 ,may ,god root out of all our   
hearts this  unforgiving spirit4    ,a  
gentleman came to me some time ago1 and 
wanted me to talk to his  wife about her
 soul4 ,that woman seemed as anxious as 

any person ,i  ever met1 and ,i thought 
it would not take long to lead her into 
the  light2 but it seemed that the      
longer ,i talked with her1 the more her 
darkness increased4 ,i went to see her  
again the next day1 and found her  in   
still greater darkness of soul4 ,i      
thought there must be something  in the 
way that ,i had not discovered1 and ,i  
asked her to repeat with  me this       
disciples' prayer4 ,i thought if she    
could say this prayer  from the heart1  
the ,lord would meet her in peace4 ,i   
began to repeat  it sentence after      
sentence1 and she repeated it after me  
until ,i came  to this petition3        
8,forgive us our trespasses1 as we      
forgive them that  trespass against us40
 ,there she stopped4 ,i repeated it the 
second time1  and waited for her to say 
it after me2 she said she could not do  
it4  8,what is the trouble80 ,she       
replied1 8,there is one woman ,i never  
will  forgive40 8,oh10 ,i said1 8,i have
 got at your difficulty2 it is no use my

  going on to pray1 for your prayers    
will not go higher than my head4 ,god   
says ,he will not forgive you unless you
 forgive others4 ,if you do not  forgive
 this woman1 ,god will never forgive    
you4 ,that is the decree of  heaven40   
,she said1 8,do you mean to say that ,i 
cannot be forgiven until  ,i have       
forgiven her80 8,no1 ,i do not say it2  
the ,lord says it1 and that  is far     
better authority40 ,said she1 8,then ,i 
will never be forgiven40 ,i  left the   
house without having made any impression
 on her4 ,a few years  after1 ,i heard  
that this woman was in an asylum for the
 insane4 ,i  believe this spirit of     
unforgiveness drove her mad4    ,if     
there is some one who has aught against 
you1 go at once1 and be  reconciled4 ,if
 you have aught against any one1 write  
to them a letter1  telling them that you
 forgive them1 and so have this thing   
off your  conscience4 ,i remember being 
in the inquiry-room some years ago2 ,i  
was  in one corner of the room1 talking 

to a young lady4 ,there seemed to be    
something in the way1 but ,i could not  
find out what it was4 ,at last  ,i said1
 8,is there not some one you do not     
forgive80 ,she looked up at  me1 and    
said1 8,what made you ask that8 ,has    
anyone told you about me80  8,no10 ,i   
said2 8but ,i thought perhaps that might
 be the case1 as you  have not received 
forgiveness yourself40 8,well10 she     
said1 pointing  to another corner of the
 room1 where there was a young lady     
sitting1  8,i have had trouble with that
 young lady2 we have not spoken to each 
other for a long time40 8,oh10 ,i said1 
8it is all plain to me now2 you  cannot 
be forgiven until you are willing to    
forgive her40 ,it was a  great struggle4
 ,but then you know1 the greater the    
cross the greater  the blessing4 ,it is 
human to err1 but it is ,christ-like to 
forgive and  be forgiven4 ,at last this 
young lady said3 8,i will go and forgive
 her40  ,strange to say1 the same       
conflict was going on in the mind of the

 lady  in the other part of the room4   
,they both came to their right mind     
about  the same time4 ,they met each    
other in the middle of the floor4 ,the  
one  tried to say that she forgave the  
other1 but they could not finish2  so   
they rushed into each other's arms4     
,then the four of us--the two  seekers  
and the two workers--got down on our    
knees together1 and we  had a grand     
meeting4 ,these two went away rejoicing4
    ,dear friend1 is this the reason why
 your prayers are not answered8 ,is     
there some friend1 some member of your  
family1 some one in the church1  you    
have not forgiven8 ,we sometimes hear of
 members of the same church  who have   
not spoken to each other for years4 ,how
 can we expect ,god to  forgive when    
this is the case8    ,i remember one    
town that ,mr4 ,sankey and myself       
visited4 ,for a week  it seemed as if we
 were beating the air2 there was no     
power in the  meetings4 ,at last ,i said
 one day that perhaps there was some one

  cultivating this unforgiving spirit4  
,the ,chairman of our committee1 who    
was sitting next to me1 got up and left 
the meeting right in view of  the       
audience4 ,the arrow had hit the mark1  
and gone home to the heart  of the      
,chairman of the committee4 ,he had had 
trouble with some one  for about six    
months4 ,he at once hunted up this man  
and asked him to  forgive him4 ,he came 
to me with tears in his eyes1 and said3 
8,i thank  ,god you ever came here40    
,that night the inquiry-room was        
thronged4 ,the  ,chairman became one of 
the best workers ,i have ever known1 and
 he has  been active in ,christian      
service ever since4    ,several years   
ago the ,church of ,england sent a      
devoted missionary to  ,new ,zealand4   
,after a few years of toil and success1 
he was one ,sabbath  holding a communion
 service in a district where the        
converts had not  long since been       
savages4 ,as the missionary was         
conducting the service1  he observed one

 of the men1 just as he was about to    
kneel at the rail1  suddenly start to   
his feet and hastily go the opposite end
 of the  church4 ,by and by he returned1
 and calmly took his place4 ,after      
service  the clergyman took him on one  
side1 and asked the reason for his      
strange behavior4 ,he replied3 8,as ,i  
was about to kneel ,i recognized in  the
 man next to me the chief of a          
neighboring tribe1 who had murdered  my 
father1 and drunk his blood2 and ,i had 
sworn by all the gods that  ,i would    
slay that man at the first opportunity4 
,the impulse to have  my revenge1 at the
 first almost overpowered me1 and ,i    
rushed away1 as  you saw me1 to escape  
the power of it4 ,as ,i stood at the    
other end of  the room and considered   
the object of our meeting1 ,i thought of
 ,him  who prayed for ,his own          
murderers3 #8,father1 forgive them1 for 
they know  not what they do4' ,and ,i   
felt that ,i could forgive the murderer 
of my  father1 and came and knelt down  

at his side40    ,as one has said3      
8,there is an ugly kind of forgiveness  
in the world--a  kind of hedgehog       
forgiveness1 shot out like quills4 ,men 
take one  who has offended1 and set him 
down before the blow-pipe of their      
indignation1 and scorch him1 and burn   
his fault into him2 and when they  have 
kneaded him sufficiently with their     
fists1 then they forgive him40    ,the  
father of ,frederick the ,great1 on his 
death-bed1 was warned by  ,m4 ,roloff1  
his spiritual adviser1 that he was bound
 to forgive his  enemies4 ,he was quite 
troubled1 and after a moment's pause    
said to the  ,queen3 8,you1 ,feekin1 may
 write to your brother 7the ,king of    
,england7  after ,i am dead1 and tell   
him that ,i forgave him1 and died at    
peace  with him40 8,it would be better10
 ,m4 ,roloff mildly suggested1 8that    
your majesty should write at once40     
8,no10 was the stern reply4 8,write     
after ,i am dead4 ,that will be safer40 
,another story tells of a man who1      

supposing he was about to die1          
expressed his forgiveness to one who had
 injured him1 but added3 8,now  you     
mind1 if ,i get well1 the old grudge    
holds good40    ,my friends1 that is not
 forgiveness at all4 ,i believe true    
forgiveness  includes forgetting the    
offence--putting it entirely away out of
 our  hearts and memories4    ,as       
,matthew ,henry says3 8,we do not       
forgive our offending brother aright    
nor acceptably1 if we do not forgive him
 from the heart1 for it is that  ,god   
looks at4 ,no malice must be harbored   
there1 nor ill-will to any2 no  projects
 of revenge must be hatched there1 nor  
desires of it1 as there  are in many who
 outwardly appear peaceful and          
reconciled4 ,we must from  the heart    
desire and seek the welfare of those who
 have offended us40    ,if ,god's       
forgiveness were like that often shown  
by us1 it would not be  worth much4     
,supposing ,god said3 8,i will forgive  
you1 but ,i will never  forget it2 all  

through eternity ,i will keep reminding 
you of it20 we  should not feel that to 
be forgiveness at all4 ,notice what ,god
 says3 8,i  will remember their sin no  
more40 ,in a passage in ,ezekiel it is  
said  that not one of our sins shall be 
mentioned2 is not that like ,god8 ,i do 
like to preach this forgiveness--the    
sweet truth that sin is blotted  out for
 time and eternity1 and shall never once
 be mentioned against  us4 ,in another  
,scripture we read3 8,their sins and    
iniquities will ,i  remember no more40  
,then when you turn to the eleventh     
chapter of the  ,hebrews1 and read      
,god's roll of honor1 you find that not 
one of the  sins of any of those men of 
faith is mentioned4 ,abraham is spoken  
of  as the man of faith2 but it is not  
told how he denied his wife down in     
,egypt2 all that had been forgiven4     
,moses was kept out of the ,promised    
,land because he lost patience2 but this
 is not mentioned in the ,new           
,testament1 though his name appears in  

the ,apostle's roll of honor4  ,samson1 
too1 is named1 but his sins are not     
brought up again4 ,why1 we  even read of
 8righteous ,lot20 he did not look much 
like a righteous  man in the ,old       
,testament story1 but he has been       
forgiven1 and ,god has  made him        
8righteous40 ,if we are once forgiven by
 ,god1 our sins will be  remembered     
against us no more4 ,this is ,god's     
eternal decree4    ,brooks says of      
,god's pardon granted to ,his people3   
8,when ,god pardons  sin1 ,he takes it  
sheer away2 that if it should be sought 
for1 yet it  could not be found2 as the 
prophet ,jeremiah speaks3 #8,in those   
days1 and  in that time1 saith the      
,lord1 the iniquity of ,israel shall be 
sought  for1 and there shall be none2   
and the sins of ,judah1 and they shall  
not  be found2 for ,i will pardon them  
whom ,i reserve4' ,as ,david1 when he   
saw  in ,mephibosheth the features of   
his friend ,jonathan1 took no notice of 
his lameness1 or any other defect or    

deformity2 so ,god1 beholding in  ,his  
people the glorious image of ,his ,son1 
winks at all their faults and           
deformities1 which made ,luther say1    
#8,do with me what thou wilt1 since     
,thou hast pardoned my sin4' ,and what  
is it to pardon sin1 but not to  mention
 sin80    ,we read in the ,gospel of    
,matthew3 8,moreover1 if thy brother    
shall  trespass against thee1 go and    
tell him his fault between thee and him 
alone2 if he shall hear thee1 thou hast 
gained thy brother40 ,then a  little    
further on we read that ,peter comes to 
,christ and says3 8,how  oft shall my   
brother sin against me1 and ,i forgive  
him8 ,till seven  times80 ,jesus        
replied1 8,i say not unto thee1 until   
seven times2 but  until seventy times   
seven40 ,peter did not seem to think    
that he was  in danger of falling into  
sin2 his question was1 ,how often should
 ,i  forgive my brother8 ,but very soon 
we hear that ,peter has fallen4 ,i can  
imagine that when he did fall1 the sweet

 thought came to him of what  the       
,master had said about forgiving until  
seventy times seven4 ,the  voice of sin 
may be loud1 but the voice of           
forgiveness is louder4    ,let us enter 
into ,david's experience1 when he said3 
8,blessed is he  whose transgression is 
forgiven1 whose sin is covered4 ,blessed
 is the  man unto whom the ,lord        
imputeth not iniquity1 and in whose     
spirit there  is no guile4 ,when ,i kept
 silence1 my bones waxed old through my 
roaring  all the day long4 ,for day and 
night ,thy hand was heavy upon me2 my   
moisture is turned into the drought of  
summer4 ,i acknowledged my sin  unto    
,thee1 and mine iniquity have ,i not    
hid4 ,i said1 ,i will confess my        
transgressions unto the ,lord2 and ,thou
 forgavest the iniquity of my  sin40    
,david could look below1 above1 behind  
and before2 to the past1 present1  and  
future2 and know that all was well4 ,let
 us make up our mind1 that  we will not 
rest until this question of sin is for  

ever settled1 so  that we can look up   
and claim ,god as our forgiving ,father4
 ,let us be  willing to forgive others1 
that we may be able to claim forgiveness
  from ,god1 remembering the words of   
the ,lord ,jesus1 how ,he said3 8,if ye 
forgive men their trespasses1 your      
heavenly ,father will also forgive  you2
 but if ye forgive not men their        
trespasses1 neither will your  ,father  
forgive your trespasses40               
,pardon4        8,now1 oh joy6 my sins  
are pardoned6      ,now ,i can and do   
believe6    ,all ,i have1 and am1 and   
shall be1      ,to my precious ,lord ,i 
give2    ,he roused my deathly slumbers1
      ,he dispersed my soul's dark      
night2    ,whispered peace1 and drew me 
to ,him      ,made ,himself my chief    
delight4      8,let the babe forget its 
mother1      ,let the bridegroom slight 
his bride2    ,true to him1 ,i'll love  
none other1      ,cleaving closely to   
,his side4    ,jesus1 hear my soul's    
confession2      ,weak am ,i1 but       

strength is ,thine2    ,on ,thine arms  
for strength and succor1      ,calmly   
may my soul recline60                   
,albert ,midlane4          ,,chapter    
,,vii4    ,,unity4      ,the next thing 
we need to have1 if we would get our    
prayers answered1  is--,,unity4 ,if we  
do not love one another we certainly    
shall not have  much power with ,god in 
,prayer4 ,one of the saddest things in  
the present  day is the division in     
,god's ,church4 ,you notice that when   
the power  of ,god came upon the early  
church1 it was when they were all of one
  accord4 ,i believe the blessing of    
,pentecost never would have been given  
but for that spirit of unity4 ,if they  
had been divided and quarreling  among  
themselves1 do you think the ,holy      
,ghost would have come1 and  those      
thousands been converted8 ,i have       
noticed in our work1 that if we  have   
gone to a town where three churches were
 united in it1 we have had  greater     
blessing than if only one church was in 

sympathy4 ,and if there  have been      
twelve churches united1 the blessing has
 multiplied fourfold2  it has always    
been in proportion to the spirit of     
unity that has been  manifested4 ,where 
there are bickerings and divisions1 and 
where the  spirit of unity is absent1   
there is very little blessing and       
praise4    ,dr4 ,guthrie thus           
illustrates this fact2 he says3         
8,separate the atoms  which make the    
hammer1 and each would fall on the stone
 as a snowflake2  but welded into one1  
and wielded by the firm arm of the      
quarry man1  it will break the massive  
rocks asunder4 ,divide the waters of    
,niagara  into distinct and individual  
drops1 and they would be no more than   
the  falling rain1 but in their united  
body they would quench the fires of     
,vesuvius1 and have some to spare for   
the volcanoes of other mountains40      
,history tells us that it was agreed    
upon by both armies of the ,romans  and 
the ,albans to put the trial of all to  

the issue of a battle betwixt  six      
brethren--three on the one side1 the    
sons of ,curatius1 and three  on the    
other1 the sons of ,horatius4 ,while the
 ,curatii were united1  though all three
 sorely wounded1 they killed two of the 
,heratii4 ,the  third began to take to  
his heels1 though not hurt at all2 and  
when he  saw them follow slowly1 one    
after another1 because of wounds and    
heavy  armor1 he fell upon them singly1 
and slew all three4 ,it is the cunning  
sleight of the devil to divide us that  
he may destroy us4    ,we ought to      
endure much and sacrifice much1 rather  
than permit discord  and division to    
prevail in our hearts4 ,martin ,luther  
says3 8,when two  goats meet upon a     
narrow bridge over deep water1 how do   
they behave8  ,neither of them can turn 
back again1 neither can pass the other1 
because the bridge is too narrow2 if    
they should thrust one another  they    
might both fall into the water and be   
drowned4 ,nature1 then1 has  taught them

 that if the one lays himself down and  
permits the other to  go over him1 both 
remain unhurt4 ,even so people should   
rather endure to  be trod upon than to  
fall into debate and discord one with   
another40    ,cawdray says3 8,as in     
music1 if the harmony of tones be not   
complete  they are offensive to the     
cultivated ear2 so if ,christians       
disagree  among themselves they are     
unacceptable to ,god40    ,there are    
diversities of gifts--that is clearly   
taught--but there is  one ,spirit4 ,if  
we have all been redeemed with the same 
blood1 we ought  to see eye to eye in   
spiritual things4 ,paul writes3 8,now   
there are  diversities of gifts1 but the
 same ,spirit4 ,and there are           
differences of  administrations1 but the
 same ,lord40    ,where there is union  
,i do not believe any power1 earthly or 
infernal1  can stand before the work4   
,when the church1 the pulpit1 and the   
pew1  get united1 and ,god's people are 
all of one mind1 ,christianity is like  

a red-hot ball rolling over the earth1  
and all the hosts of death and  hell    
cannot stand before it4 ,i believe that 
men will then come flocking  into the   
,kingdom by hundreds and thousands4 8,by
 this10 says ,christ1  8shall all men   
know that ye are ,my disciples1 if ye   
have love one to  another40 ,if only we 
love one another1 and pray for one      
another1 there  will be success4 ,god   
will not disappoint us4    ,there can be
 no real separation or division in the  
true ,church of  ,christ2 they are      
redeemed by one price1 and indwelt by   
one ,spirit4 ,if  ,i belong to the      
family of ,god1 ,i have been bought with
 the same blood1  though ,i may not     
belong to the same sect or party as     
another4 ,what  we want to do is to get 
these miserable sectarian walls taken   
away4  ,our weakness has been in our    
division2 and what we need is that there
  should be no schism or division among 
those who love the ,lord ,jesus         
,christ4 ,in the ,first ,epistle to the 

,corinthians we read of the first       
symptoms of sectarianism coming into the
 early church--    8,now ,i beseech you1
 brethren1 by the name of our ,lord     
,jesus ,christ1  that ye all speak the  
same thing1 and that there be no        
division among  you2 but that ye be     
perfectly joined together in the same   
mind and  in the same judgment4 ,for it 
hath been declared unto me of you1 my   
brethren1 by them which are of the house
 of ,chloe1 that there are  contentions 
among you4 ,now this ,i say1 that every 
one of you saith1  ,i am of ,paul2 and  
,i of ,apollos2 and ,i of ,cephas1 and  
,i of ,christ4 ,is  ,christ divided8    
,was ,paul crucified for you8 ,or were  
ye baptized in the  name of ,paul80     
,notice how one said1 8,i am of ,paul20 
and another1 8,i am of ,apollos20  and  
another1 8,i am of ,cephas40 ,apollos   
was a young orator1 and the  people had 
been carried away by his eloquence4     
,some said ,cephas1 or  ,peter1 was of  
the regular ,apostolic line1 because he 

had been with  the ,lord1 and ,paul had 
not4 ,so they were divided1 and ,paul   
wrote this  letter in order to settle   
the question4    ,jenkyn1 in his        
commentary on the ,epistle of ,jude1    
says3 8,the partakers  of a #8common    
salvation1' who here agree in one way to
 heaven1 and who  expect to be hereafter
 in one heaven1 should be of one heart4 
,it is the  ,apostle's inference in     
,ephesians4 ,what an amazing misery is  
it1 that  they who agree in common faith
 should disagree like common foes6 ,that
  ,christians should live as if faith   
had banished love6 ,this common faith   
should allay and temper our spirits in  
all our differences4 ,this should       
moderate our minds1 though there is     
inequality in earthly relations4  ,what 
a powerful motive was that of ,joseph's 
brethren to him to forgive  their sin1  
they being both his brethren1 and the   
servants of the ,god  of his fathers6   
,though our own breath cannot blow out  
the taper of  contention1 oh1 yet let   

the blood of ,christ extinguish it60    
,what a strange state of things ,paul1  
,cephas1 and ,apollos would find if     
they would come to the world to-day6    
,the little tree that sprang up at      
,corinth has grown up into a tree like  
,nebuchadnezzar's1 with many of  the    
fowls of heaven gathered into it4       
,suppose ,paul and ,cephas were to  come
 down to us now1 they would hear at once
 about our ,churchmen and  ,dissenters4 
8,a ,dissenter60 says ,paul1 8what is   
that80 8,we have a ,church  of ,england1
 and there are those who dissent from   
the ,church40 8,oh1  indeed6 ,are there 
two classes of ,christians here1 then80 
8,i am sorry to  say there are a good   
many more divisions4 ,the ,dissenters   
themselves are  split up4 ,there are    
,wesleyans1 ,baptists1 ,presbyterians1  
,independents1  and so on2 even these   
are all divided up40 8,is it possible10 
says ,paul1  8that there are so many    
divisions80 8,yes2 the ,church of       
,england is  pretty well divided itself4

 ,there is the ,broad ,church1 the ,high
 ,church1  the ,low ,church1 and the    
,high-,lows4 ,then there is the         
,lutheran ,church2  and away in ,russia 
they have the ,greek ,church1 and so    
on40 ,i declare  ,i do not know what    
,paul and ,cephas would think if they   
came back to  the world2 they would find
 a strange state of things4 ,it is one  
of the  most humiliating things in the  
present day to see how ,god's family is 
divided up4 ,if we love the ,lord ,jesus
 ,christ the burden of our hearts  will 
be that ,god may bring us closer        
together1 so that we may love one       
another and rise above all party        
feeling4    ,in repairing a church in   
one of the ,boston wards1 the           
inscription upon  the wall behind the   
pulpit was covered up4 ,upon the first  
,sabbath after  repairs1 8little        
five-year-old0 whispered to her mother3 
8,i know why  ,god told the paint men to
 cover that pretty verse up4 ,it was    
because  the people did not love one    

another40 ,the inscription was2 8,a new 
commandment ,i give unto you1 that ye   
love one another40    ,a ,boston        
minister says he once preached on 8,the 
,recognition of ,friends  in the        
,future10 and was told after service by 
a hearer1 that it would  be more to the 
point to preach about the recognition of
 friends here1  as he had been in the   
church twenty years1 and did not know   
any of its  members4    ,i was in a     
little town some time ago1 when one     
night as ,i came out of  the meeting1 ,i
 saw another building where the people  
were coming out4 ,i  said to a friend1  
8,have you got two churches here80 8,oh 
yes40 8,how do  you get on80 8,oh1 we   
get on very well40 8,i am glad to hear  
that4 ,was  your brother minister at the
 meeting80 8,oh no1 we don't have       
anything  to do with each other4 ,we    
find that is the best way40 ,and they   
called  that 8getting on very well40    
,oh1 may ,god make us of one heart and  
of  one mind6 ,let our hearts be like   

drops of water flowing together4 ,unity 
among the people of ,god is a sort of   
foretaste of heaven4 ,there we  shall   
not find any ,baptists1 or ,methodists1 
or ,congregationalists1 or              
,episcopalians2 we shall all be one in  
,christ4 ,we leave all our party  names 
behind us when we leave this earth4 ,oh 
that the ,spirit of ,god  may speedily  
sweep away all these miserable walls    
that we have been  building up6    ,did 
you ever notice that the last prayer    
,jesus ,christ made on earth1  before   
they led ,him away to ,calvary1 was that
 ,his disciples might all  be one8 ,he  
could look down the stream of time1 and 
see that divisions  would come--how     
,satan would try to divide the flock of 
,god4 ,nothing  will silence infidels so
 quickly as ,christians everywhere being
 united4  ,then our testimony will have 
weight with the ungodly and the         
careless4  ,but when they see how       
,christians are divided1 they will not  
believe  their testimony4 ,the ,holy    

,spirit is grieved2 and there is little 
power  where there is no unity4    ,if  
,i thought ,i had one drop of sectarian 
blood in my veins1 ,i would let  it out 
before ,i went to bed2 if ,i had one    
sectarian hair in my head1 ,i  would    
pull it out4 ,let us get right to the   
heart of ,jesus ,christ2 then  our      
prayers will be acceptable to ,god1 and 
showers of blessings will  descend4     
,union4        8,let party names no more
 be known      ,among the ransomed      
throng2    ,for ,jesus claims them for  
,his own2      ,to ,him they all belong4
      8,one in their covenant ,head and 
,king1      ,they should be one in      
heart2    ,of one salvation all should  
sing1      ,each claiming his own part4 
8,one bread1 one family1 one rock1      
,one building1 formed by love1    ,one  
fold1 one ,shepherd1 yea1 one flock1    
,they shall be one above40              
,joseph ,irons4          ,,chapter      
,,viii4    ,,faith4      ,another       
element is ,,faith4 ,it is as important 

for us to know how to  pray as it is to 
know how to work4 ,we are not told that 
,jesus ever  taught ,his disciples how  
to preach1 but ,he taught them how to   
pray4 ,he  wanted them to have power    
with ,god2 then ,he knew they would have
 power  with man4 ,in ,james we read3   
8,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask
 of  ,god 444 and it shall be given him2
 but let him ask in faith1 nothing      
wavering40 ,so faith is the golden key  
that unlocks the treasures of  heaven4  
,it was the shield that ,david took when
 he met ,goliath on  the field2 he      
believed that ,god was going to deliver 
the ,philistine  into his hands4 ,some  
one has said that faith could lead      
,christ about  anywhere2 wherever ,he   
found it ,he honored it4 ,unbelief sees 
something  in ,god's hand1 and says1 8,i
 cannot get it40 ,faith sees it1 and    
says1 8,i  will have it40    ,the new   
life begins with faith2 then we have    
only to go on building on  that         
foundation4 8,i say unto you1 what      

things soever ye desire1 when ye  pray1 
believe that ye receive them1 and ye    
shall have them40 ,but bear  in mind1 we
 must be in earnest when we go to ,god4 
,i do not know of a more vivid          
illustration of the cry of distress for 
help going up to ,god1 in all the       
earnestness of deeply realized need1    
than the following story supplies3      
,carl ,steinman1 who visited ,mount     
,hecla1 ,iceland1 just before the great 
eruption1 in #ahde1 after a repose of   
eighty years1 narrowly escaped  death by
 venturing into the smoking crater      
against the earnest entreaty  of his    
guide4 ,on the brink of the yawning gulf
 he was prostrated by a  convulsion of  
the summit1 and held there by blocks of 
lava upon his  feet4 ,he graphically    
writes3    8,oh1 the horrors of that    
awful realization6 ,there1 over the     
mouth of a  black and heated abyss1 ,i  
was held suspended1 a helpless and      
conscious  prisoner1 to be hurled       
downward by the next great throe of     

trembling  ,nature6    8#8,help6 help6  
help6--for the love of ,god1 help6' ,i  
shrieked1 in the  very agony of my      
despair4    8,i had nothing to rely upon
 but the mercy of heaven2 and ,i prayed 
to  ,god as ,i had never prayed before1 
for the forgiveness of my sins1 that    
they might not follow me to judgment4   
8,all at once ,i heard a shout1 and1    
looking around1 ,i beheld1 with         
feelings that cannot be described1 my   
faithful guide hastening down the  sides
 of the crater to my relief4    8#8,i   
warned you6' said he4    8#8,you did6'  
cried ,i1 #8but forgive me1 and save me1
 for ,i am perishing6'    8#8,i will    
save you1 or perish with you6'    8,the 
earth trembled1 and the rocks           
parted--one of them rolling down the    
chasm with a dull1 booming sound4 ,i    
sprang forward2 ,i seized a hand  of the
 guide1 and the next moment we had both 
fallen1 locked in each  other's arms1   
upon the solid earth above4 ,i was free1
 but still upon  the verge of the pit40 

,bishop ,hall1 in a well-known extract1 
thus puts the point of  earnestness in  
its relation to the prayer of faith4    
8,an arrow1 if it be drawn up but a     
little way1 goes not far2 but1 if it  be
 pulled up to the head1 flies swiftly   
and pierces deep4 ,thus prayer1  if it  
be only dribbled forth from careless    
lips1 falls at our feet4  ,it is the    
strength of ejaculation and strong      
desire which sends it to  heaven1 and   
makes it pierce the clouds4 ,it is not  
the arithmetic of  our prayers1 how many
 they are2 nor the rhetoric of our      
prayers1 how  eloquent they be2 nor the 
geometry of our prayers1 how long they  
be2  nor the music of our prayers1 how  
sweet our voice may be2 nor the logic   
of our prayers1 how argumentative they  
may be2 nor the method of our  prayers1 
how orderly they may be2 nor even the   
divinity of our prayers1  how good the  
doctrine may be2--which ,god cares for4 
,he looks not for  the horny knees which
 ,james is said to have had through the 

assiduity  of prayer4 ,we might be like 
,bartholomew1 who is said to have had a 
hundred prayers for the morning1 and as 
many for the evening1 and all  might be 
of no avail4 ,fervency of spirit is that
 which availeth much40    ,archbishop   
,leighton says3 8,it is not the gilded  
paper and good  writing of a petition   
that prevails with a king1 but the      
moving sense  of it4 ,and to that ,king 
who discerns the heart1 heart-sense is  
the  sense of all1 and that which ,he   
only regards4 ,he listens to hear what  
that speaks1 and takes all as nothing   
where that is silent4 ,all other        
excellence in prayer is but the outside 
and fashion of it4 ,this is the  life of
 it40    ,brooks says3 8,as a painted   
fire is no fire1 a dead man no man1 so a
  cold prayer is no prayer4 ,in a       
painted fire there is no heat1 in a dead
  man there is no life2 so in a cold    
prayer there is no omnipotency1 no      
devotion1 no blessing4 ,cold prayers are
 as arrows without heads1 as  swords    

without edges1 as birds without wings2  
they pierce not1 they cut  not1 they fly
 not up to heaven4 ,cold prayers do     
always freeze before  they get to       
heaven4 ,oh that ,christians would chide
 themselves out of  their cold prayers1 
and chide themselves into a better and  
warmer frame  of spirit1 when they make 
their supplications to the ,lord60      
,take the case of the ,syrophenician    
woman4 ,when she called to the  ,master1
 it seemed for a time as if ,he were    
deaf to her request4 ,the  disciples    
wanted her to be sent away4 ,although   
they were with ,christ  for three years1
 and sat at ,his feet1 yet they did not 
know how full of  grace ,his heart was4 
,think of ,christ sending away a poor   
sinner who had  come to ,him for mercy6 
,can you conceive such a thing8 ,never  
once did it  occur4 ,this poor woman put
 herself in the place of her child4     
8,lord1  help me60 she said4 ,i think   
when we get so far as that in the       
earnest  desire to have our friends     

blessed--when we put ourselves in their 
place--,god will soon hear our prayer4  
,i remember1 a number of years ago at a 
meeting1 ,i asked all those who  wished 
to be prayed for to come forward and    
kneel or take seats in  front4 ,among   
those who came was a woman4 ,i thought  
by her looks that  she must be a        
,christian1 but she knelt down with the 
others4 ,i said3  8,you are a           
,christian1 are you not80 ,she said she 
had been one for so  many years4 8,did  
you understand the invitation8 ,i asked 
those only who  wanted to become        
,christians40 ,i shall never forget the 
look on her face  as she replied1 8,i   
have a son who has gone far away2 ,i    
thought ,i would  take his place to-day1
 and see if ,god would not bless him40  
,thank ,god  for such a mother as that6 
,the ,syrophenician woman did the same  
thing--8,lord help me60 ,it was  a short
 prayer1 but it went right to the heart 
of the ,son of ,god4  ,he tried her     
faith1 however4 ,he said3 8,it is not   

meet to take the  children's bread and  
cast it to dogs40 ,she replied3 8,truth1
 ,lord2 yet  the dogs eat of the crumbs 
which fall from their masters' table40  
8,o  woman1 great is thy faith60 ,what a
 eulogy ,he paid to her6 ,her story     
will never be forgotten as long as the  
church is on the earth4 ,he  honored her
 faith1 and gave her all she asked for4 
,every one can say1  8,lord1 help me60  
,we all need help4 ,as ,christians1 we  
need more grace1  more love1 more purity
 of life1 more righteousness8 ,then let 
us make  this prayer to-day4 ,i want    
,god to help me to preach better and to 
live  better1 to be more like the ,son  
of ,god4 ,the golden chains of faith    
link  us right to the throne of ,god1   
and the grace of heaven flows down into 
our souls4    ,i do not know but that   
woman was a great sinner2 still1 the    
,lord heard  her cry4 ,it may be that up
 to this hour you have been living in   
sin2  but if you will cry1 8,lord help  
me60 ,he will answer your prayer1 if  it

 is an honest one4 ,very often when we  
cry to ,god we do not really  mean      
anything4 ,you mothers understand that4 
,your children have two  voices4 ,when  
they ask you for anything1 you can soon 
tell if the cry  is a make-believe one  
or not4 ,if it is1 you do not give any  
heed to  it2 but if it is a real cry for
 help1 how quickly you respond6 ,the cry
  of distress always brings relief4     
,your child is playing around1 and  it  
says1 8,mamma1 ,i want some bread20 but 
it goes on playing4 ,you know  that it  
is not very hungry2 so you let it alone4
 ,but1 by and by1 the  child drops the  
toys1 and comes tugging at your dress4  
8,mamma1 ,i am so  hungry60 ,then you   
know that the cry is a real one2 you    
soon go to the  pantry1 and get some    
bread4 ,when we are in earnest for the  
bread of  heaven1 we will get it4 ,this 
woman was terribly in earnest2 therefore
  her petition was answered4    ,i      
remember hearing of a boy brought up in 
an ,english almshouse4 ,he had  never   

learned to read or write1 except that he
 could read the letters  of the         
alphabet4 ,one day a man of ,god came   
there1 and told the children  that if   
they prayed to ,god in their trouble1   
,he would send them help4  ,after a     
time1 this boy was apprenticed to a     
farmer4 ,one day he was sent  out into  
the fields to look after some sheep4 ,he
 was having rather a  hard time2 so he  
remembered what the preacher had said1  
and he thought  he would pray to ,god   
about it4 ,some one going by the field  
heard a  voice behind the hedge4 ,they  
looked to see whose it was1 and saw the 
little fellow on his knees1 saying1 8,a1
 ,b1 ,c1 ,d10 and so on4 ,the man  said1
 8,my boy1 what are you doing80 ,he     
looked up1 and said he was  praying4    
8,why1 that is not praying2 it is only  
saying the alphabet40  ,he said he did  
not know just how to pray1 but a man    
once came to the  poor-house1 who told  
them that if they called upon ,god1 ,he 
would help  them4 ,so he thought that if

 he named over the letters of the       
alphabet1  ,god would take them and put 
together into a prayer1 and give him    
what  he wanted4 ,the little fellow was 
really praying4 ,sometimes1 when your   
child talks1 your friends cannot        
understand what he says2 but the  mother
 understands very well4 ,so if our      
prayer comes right from the  heart1 ,god
 understands our language4 ,it is a     
delusion of the devil to  think we      
cannot pray2 we can1 if we really want  
anything4 ,it is not  the most beautiful
 or the most eloquent language that     
brings down the  answer2 it is the cry  
that goes up from a burdened heart4     
,when this  poor ,gentile woman cried   
out1 8,lord1 help me60 the cry flashed  
over the  divine wires and the blessing 
came4 ,so you can pray if you will2 it  
is  the desire1 the wish of the heart1  
that ,god delights to hear and to       
answer4    ,then we must expect to      
receive a blessing4 ,when the centurion 
wanted  ,christ to heal his servant1 he 

thought he was not worthy to go and ask 
the ,lord himself1 so he sent his       
friends to make the petition4 ,he sent  
out messengers to meet the ,master1 and 
say1 8,do not trouble yourself  to come2
 all you have to do is to speak the     
word1 and the disease will  go40 ,jesus 
said to the ,jews1 8,i have not found so
 great faith1 no1 not  in ,israel40 ,he 
marvelled at the faith of this          
centurion2 it pleased  ,him1 so that he 
healed the servant then and there4      
,faith brought the  answer4    ,in ,john
 we read of a nobleman whose child was  
sick4 ,the father fell  on his knees    
before the ,master1 and said1 8,come    
down1 ere my child  die40 ,here you have
 both earnestness and faith2 and the    
,lord answered  the prayer at once4 ,the
 nobleman's son began to amend that very
 hour4  ,christ honored the man's faith4
    ,in his case there was nothing to   
rest upon but the bare word of ,christ1 
but this was enough4 ,it is well to bear
 always in mind1 that the object  of    

faith is not the creature1 but the      
,creator2 not the instrument1 but  the  
,hand that wields it4    ,richard       
,sibbes puts it for us thus3 8,the      
object in believing is ,god1  and       
,christ as ,mediator4 ,we must have both
 to found our faith upon4 ,we  cannot   
believe in ,god1 except we believe in   
,christ4 ,for ,god must be  satisfied by
 ,god2 and by ,him that is ,god must    
that satisfaction be  applied--the      
,spirit of ,god--by working faith in the
 heart1 and for  raising it up when it  
is dejected4 ,all is supernatural in    
faith4 ,the  things we believe are above
 nature2 the promises are above nature2 
the  worker of it1 the ,holy ,ghost1 is 
above nature2 and everything in faith   
is above nature4 ,there must be a ,god  
in whom we believe1 and a ,god  through 
whom we may know that ,christ is        
,god--not only by that which  ,christ   
hath done1 the miracles1 which none     
could do but ,god1 but also  by what is 
done to ,him4 ,and two things are done  

to ,him1 which show that  ,he is        
,god--that is1 faith and prayer4 ,we    
must believe only in ,god1  and pray    
only to ,god2 but ,christ is the object 
of both these4 ,here ,he  is set forth  
as the object of faith1 and of prayer in
 that of ,saint  ,stephen1 #8,lord      
,jesus1 receive my spirit4' ,and1       
therefore1 ,he is ,god2  for that is    
done unto ,him which is proper and      
peculiar only to ,god4  ,oh1 what a     
strong foundation1 what bottom and basis
 our faith hath6  ,there is ,god the    
,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost1 and     
,christ the ,mediator4  ,that our faith 
may be supported1 we have ,him to       
believe on who supports  heaven and     
earth4    8,there is nothing that can   
lie in the way of the accomplishment of 
any  of ,god's promises1 but it is      
conquerable by faith40    ,as ,samuel   
,rutherford says1 commenting on the case
 of the ,syrophenician  woman3 8,see the
 sweet use of faith under a sad         
temptation2 faith  trafficketh with     

,christ and heaven in the dark1 upon    
plain trust and  credit1 without seeing 
any surety of dawn3 ,blessed are they   
that have  not seen1 and yet have       
believed4 ,and the reason is because    
faith is  sinewed and boned with        
spiritual courage2 so as to keep a      
barred city  against hell1 yea1 and to  
stand under impossibilities2 and here is
 a  weak woman1 though not as a woman1  
yet as a believer1 standing out  against
 ,him who is #8the ,mighty ,god1 the    
,father of ,ages1 the ,prince of        
,peace4' ,faith only standeth out1 and  
overcometh the sword1 the world1  and   
all afflictions4 ,this is our victory1  
whereby one man overcometh  the great   
and vast world40    ,bishop ,ryle has   
said of ,christ's intercession as the   
ground and  sureness of our faith3 8,the
 bank-note without a signature at the   
bottom is nothing but a worthless piece 
of paper4 ,the stroke of a pen  confers 
on it all its value4 ,the prayer of a   
poor child of ,adam is  a feeble thing  

in itself1 but once indorsed by the hand
 of the ,lord  ,jesus1 it availeth much4
 ,there was an officer in the city of   
,rome who  was appointed to have his    
doors always open1 in order to receive  
any  ,roman citizen who applied to him  
for help4 ,just so the ear of the ,lord 
,jesus is ever open to the cry of all   
who want mercy and grace4 ,it is  ,his  
office to help them4 ,their prayer is   
,his delight40 ,reader1 think of  this4 
,is not this encouragement8    ,let us  
close this chapter by referring to some 
of our ,lord's own words  concerning    
faith in its relation to prayer3        
8,and when ,he saw a fig-tree in the    
way1 ,he came to it1 and found  nothing 
thereon1 but leaves only1 and said unto 
it3 ,let no fruit grow  on thee         
henceforward for ever4 ,and presently   
the fig-tree withered  away4 ,and when  
the disciples saw it1 they marvelled1   
saying1 ,how soon  is the fig-tree      
withered away6 ,jesus answered and said 
unto them1  ,verily ,i say unto you1 if 

ye have faith1 and doubt not1 ye shall  
not  only do this which is done to the  
fig-tree1 but also if ye shall say  unto
 this mountain1 ,be thou removed1 and be
 thou cast into the sea1  it shall be   
done4 ,and all things whatsoever ye     
shall ask in prayer1  believing1 ye     
shall receive40    ,so again our ,lord  
says3 8,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1
 he that  believeth on ,me1 the works   
that ,i do shall he do also2 and greater
  works than these shall he do2 because 
,i go unto ,my ,father4 ,and  whatsoever
 ye shall ask in ,my name1 that will ,i 
do1 that the ,father may  be glorified  
in the ,son4 ,if ye shall ask anything  
in ,my name1 ,i will  do it40 ,and      
further3 8,if ye abide in ,me1 and my   
words abide in you1  ye shall ask what  
ye will1 and it shall be done unto you40
 8,verily1  verily1 ,i say unto you1    
whatsoever ye shall ask the ,father in  
,my name1  ,he will give it you4        
,hitherto have ye asked nothing in ,my  
name2 ask1  and ye shall receive1 that  

your joy may be full40          8,have  
,faith in ,god40        8,have faith in 
,god1 for ,he who reigns on high        
,hath borne thy grief1 and hears the    
suppliant's sigh2    ,still to ,his     
arms1 thine only refuge1 fly1           
,have faith in ,god6      8,fear not to 
call on ,him1 ,o soul distressed6       
,thy sorrow's whisper woos thee to ,his 
breast2    ,he who is oftenest there is 
oftenest blest4                         
,have faith in ,god6      8,lean not on 
,egypt's reeds2 slake not thy thirst    
,at earthly cisterns4 ,seek the ,kingdom
 first4    ,though man and ,satan fright
 thee with their worst1                 
,have faith in ,god6      8,go1 tell    
,him all6 ,the sigh thy bosom heaves    
,is heard in heaven4 ,strength and peace
 ,he gives1    ,who gave ,himself for   
thee4 ,our ,jesus lives2                
,have faith in ,god60                   
,anna ,shipton4          ,,chapter ,,ix4
    ,,petition4      ,the next element  
in prayer that ,i notice is ,,petition4 

,how often we go  to prayer-meetings    
without really asking for anything6 ,our
 prayers go  all round the world1       
without anything definite being asked   
for4 ,we do  not expect anything4 ,many 
people would be greatly surprised if    
,god did  answer their prayers4 ,i      
remember hearing of a very eloquent man 
who was  leading a meeting in prayer4   
,there was not a single definite        
petition  in the whole4 ,a poor1 earnest
 woman shouted out3 8,ask ,him summat1  
man40  ,how often you hear what is      
called prayer without any asking6 8,ask1
 and  ye shall receive40    ,i believe  
if we put all the stumbling-blocks out  
of the way1 ,god will  answer our       
petitions4 ,if we put away sin and come 
into ,his presence  with pure hands1 as 
,he has commanded us to come1 our       
prayers will have  power with ,him4 ,in 
,luke's ,gospel we have as a grand      
supplement to the  8,disciples'         
,prayer10 8,ask and it shall be given   
you2 seek1 and ye shall  find2 knock1   

and it shall be opened unto you40 ,some 
people think ,god  does not like to be  
troubled with our constant coming and   
asking4 ,the  only way to trouble ,god  
is not to come at all4 ,he encourages us
 to come  to ,him repeatedly1 and press 
our claims4    ,i believe you will find 
three kinds of ,christians in the church
 to-day4  ,the first are those who ask2 
the second those who seek2 and the      
third those who knock4    8,teacher10   
said a bright1 earnest-faced boy1 8why  
is it that so many  prayers are         
unanswered8 ,i do not understand4 ,the  
,bible says1 #8,ask1  and ye shall      
receive2 seek1 and ye shall find2 knock1
 and it shall be  opened unto you2' but 
it seems to me a great many knock and   
are not  admitted40    8,did you never  
sit by your cheerful parlor fire10 said 
the teacher1  8on some dark evening1 and
 hear a loud knocking at the door8      
,going  to answer the summons1 have you 
not sometimes looked out into the       
darkness1 seeing nothing1 but hearing   

the pattering feet of some  mischievous 
boy1 who knocked but did not wish to    
enter1 and therefore  ran away8 ,thus is
 it often with us4 ,we ask for          
blessings1 but do not  really expect    
them2 we knock1 but do not mean to      
enter2 we fear that  ,jesus will not    
hear us1 will not fulfil ,his promises1 
will not admit  us2 and so we go away40 
8,ah1 ,i see10 said the earnest-faced   
boy1 his eyes shining with the new      
light dawning in his soul3 8,jesus      
cannot be expected answer runaway       
knocks4 ,he has never promised it4 ,i   
mean to keep knocking1 knocking1  until 
,he cannot help opening the door40      
,too often we knock at mercy's door1 and
 then run away1 instead of  waiting for 
an entrance and an answer4 ,thus we act 
as if we were afraid  of having our     
prayers answered4    ,a great many      
people pray in that way2 they do not    
wait for the answer4  ,our ,lord teaches
 us here that we are not only to ask1   
but we are to  wait for the answer2 if  

it does not come1 we must seek to find  
out the  reason4 ,i believe that we get 
a good many blessings just by asking2   
others we do not get1 because there may 
be something in our life that  needs to 
be brought to light4 ,when ,daniel began
 to pray in ,babylon for  the           
deliverance of his people1 he sought to 
find out what the trouble  was1 and why 
,god had turned away ,his face from     
them4 ,so there may be  something in our
 life that is keeping back the blessing2
 if there is1  we want to find it out4  
,some one1 speaking on this subject1 has
 said3  8,we are to ask with a beggar's 
humility1 to seek with a servant's      
carefulness1 and to knock with the      
confidence of a friend40    ,how often  
people become discouraged1 and say they 
do not know whether  or not ,god does   
answer prayer6 ,in the parable of the   
importunate widow1  ,christ teaches us  
how we are not only to pray and seek1   
but to find4 ,if  the unjust judge heard
 the petition of the poor woman who     

pushed her  claims1 how much more will  
our ,heavenly ,father hear our cry6 ,a  
good  many years ago an ,irishman in the
 ,state of ,new ,jersey was condemned to
  be hung4 ,every possible influence was
 brought to bear upon the ,governor  to 
have the man reprieved2 but he stood    
firm1 and refused to alter  the         
sentence4 ,one morning the wife of the  
condemned man1 with her ten  children1  
went to see the ,governor4 ,when he came
 to his office1 they  all fell on their 
faces before him1 and besought him to   
have mercy on  the husband--the father4 
,the ,governor's heart was moved2 and he
 at once  wrote out a reprieve4 ,the    
importunity of the wife and children    
saved  the life of the man1 just as the 
woman in the parable1 who1 pressing  her
 claims1 induced the unjust judge to    
grant her request4    ,it was this that 
brought the answer to the prayer of     
blind ,bartimeus4  ,the people1 and even
 the disciples1 tried to hush him into  
silence2 but  he only cried out the     

louder1 8,thou ,son of ,david1 have     
mercy on me60    ,prayer is hardly ever 
mentioned in the ,bible alone2 it is    
prayer and  earnestness2 prayer and     
watchfulness2 prayer and thanksgiving4  
,it is an  instructive fact that        
throughout ,scripture prayer is always  
linked with  something else4 ,bartimeus 
was in earnest1 and the ,lord heard his 
cry4    ,then the highest type of       
,christian is the one who has got clear 
beyond  asking and seeking1 and keeps   
knocking till the answer comes4 ,if we  
knock1 ,god has promised to open the    
door and grant our request4 ,it may  be 
years before the answer comes2 ,he may  
keep us knocking2 but ,he has  promised 
that the answer will come4    ,i will   
tell you what ,i think it means to      
knock4 ,a number of years ago1  when we 
were having meetings in a certain city1 
it came to a point  where there seemed  
to be very little power4 ,we called     
together all the  mothers1 and asked    
them to meet and pray for their         

children4 ,about  fifteen hundred       
mothers came together1 and poured out   
their hearts  to ,god in prayer4 ,one   
mother said3 8,i wish you would pray for
 my two  boys4 ,they have gone off on a 
drunken spree2 and it seems as if my    
heart would break40 ,she was a widowed  
mother4 ,a few mothers gathered         
together1 and said3 8,let us have a     
prayer-meeting for these boys40  ,they  
cried to ,god for these two wandering   
boys2 and now see how ,god  answered    
their prayer4    ,that day these two    
brothers had planned to meet at the     
corner of the  street where our meetings
 were being held4 ,they were going to   
spend the  night in debauchery and sin4 
,about seven o'clock the first one came 
to  the appointed place2 he saw the     
people going into the meeting4 ,as it   
was a stormy night1 he thought he would 
go in for a little while4 ,the  word of 
,god reached him1 and he went into the  
inquiry-room1 where he  gave his heart  
to the ,savior4    ,the other brother   

waited at the corner until the meeting  
broke up1  expecting his brother to     
come2 he did not know that he had been  
in the  meeting4 ,there was a young     
men's meeting in the church near by1 and
  this brother thought he would like to 
see what was going on2 so he  followed  
the crowd into the meeting4 ,he also was
 impressed with what  he heard1 and was 
the first one to go into the            
inquiry-room1 where he  found peace4    
,while this was happening1 the first one
 had gone home to  cheer his mother's   
heart with the good news4 ,he found her 
on her knees4  ,she had been knocking at
 the mercy-seat4 ,while she was doing   
so1 her  boy came in and told her that  
her prayers had been answered2 his soul 
was saved4 ,it was not long before the  
other brother came in and told  his     
story--how he1 too1 had been blessed4   
,on the following ,monday night1 the    
first to get up at the young  converts' 
meeting was one of these brothers1 who  
told the story of  their conversion4 ,no

 sooner had he taken his seat1 than the 
other  jumped up and said3 8,all that my
 brother has told you is true1 for ,i   
am his brother4 ,the ,lord has indeed   
met us and blessed us40    ,i heard of a
 wife in ,england who had an unconverted
 husband4 ,she  resolved that she would 
pray every day for twelve months for his
  conversion4 ,every day at twelve      
o'clock she went to her room alone and  
cried to ,god4 ,her husband would not   
allow her to speak to him on the        
subject2 but she could speak to ,god on 
his behalf4 ,it may be that you  have a 
friend who does not wish to be spoken   
with about his salvation2  you can do as
 this woman did--go and pray to ,god    
about it4 ,the twelve  months passed    
away1 and there was no sign of his      
yielding4 ,she resolved  to pray for six
 months longer2 so every day she went   
alone and prayed  for the conversion of 
her husband4 ,the six months passed1 and
 still  there was no sign1 no answer4   
,the question arose in her mind1 could  

she give him up8 8,no10 she said2 8,i   
will pray for him as long as ,god  gives
 me breath40 ,that very day1 when he    
came home to dinner1 instead  of going  
into the dining-room he went upstairs4  
,she waited1 and waited1  and waited2   
but he did not come down to dinner4     
,finally she went to  his room1 and     
found him on his knees crying to ,god to
 have mercy upon  him4 ,god convicted   
him of sin2 he not only became a        
,christian1 but the  ,word of ,god had  
free course1 and was glorified in him4  
,god used him  mightily4 ,that was ,god 
answering the prayers of this ,christian
 wife2  she knocked1 and knocked1 till  
the answer came4    ,i heard something  
the other day that cheered me greatly4  
,prayer had  been made for a man for    
about forty years1 but there was no sign
 of any  answer4 ,it seemed as though he
 was going down to his grave one of the 
most self-righteous men on the face of  
the earth4 ,conviction came in  one     
night4 ,in the morning he sent for the  

members of his family1 and  said to his 
daughter3 8,i want you to pray for me4  
,pray that ,god would  forgive my sins2 
my whole life has been nothing but      
sin--sin40 ,and all  this conviction    
came in one night4 ,what we want is to  
press our case  right up to the throne  
of ,god4 ,i have often known cases of   
men who came  to our meetings1 and      
although they could not hear a word that
 was said1  it seemed as though some    
unseen power laid hold of them1 so that 
they  were convicted and converted then 
and there4    ,i remember at one place  
where we were holding meetings1 a wife  
came to  the first meeting and asked me 
to talk with her husband4 8,he is not   
interested10 she said1 8but ,i am in    
hopes he will become so40 ,i talked     
with him1 and ,i think ,i hardly ever   
spoke to a man who seemed to be so      
self-righteous4 ,it looked as though ,i 
might as well have talked to an  iron   
post1 he seemed to be so encased in     
self-righteousness4 ,i said to  his wife

 that he was not at all interested4 ,she
 said1 8,i told you that1  but ,i am    
interested for him40 ,all the thirty    
days we were there that  wife never gave
 him up4 ,i must confess she had ten    
times more faith for  him than ,i had4  
,i had spoken to him several times1 but 
,i could see no  ray of hope4 ,the last 
night but two the man came to me and    
said3 8,would  you see me in another    
room80 ,i went1 aside with him1 and     
asked him  what was the trouble4 ,he    
said1 8,i am the greatest sinner in the 
,state  of ,vermont40 8,how is that80 ,i
 said1 8,is there any particular sin you
  have been guilty of80 ,i must confess 
,i thought he had committed some  awful 
crime1 which he was covering up1 and    
that he now wanted to make  confession4 
8,my whole life10 he said1 8has been    
nothing but sin4 ,god  has shown it to  
me to-day40 ,he asked the ,lord to have 
mercy on him1  and he went home         
rejoicing in the assurance of sins      
forgiven4 ,there  was a man convicted   

and converted in answer to prayer4 ,so  
if you are  anxious about the conversion
 of some relative1 or some friend1 make 
up  your mind that you will give ,god no
 rest1 day or night1 till ,he grants    
your petition4 ,he can reach them1      
wherever they are--at their places of   
business1 in their homes1 or            
anywhere--and bring them to ,his feet4  
,dr4 ,austin ,phelps1 in his 8,still    
,hour10 says3 8,the prospect of gaining 
an object will always affect thus the   
expression of intense desire4  ,the     
feeling which will become spontaneous   
with a ,christian under the  influence  
of such a trust is this3 #8,i come to my
 devotions this morning  on an errand of
 real life4 ,this is no romance1 and no 
farce4 ,i do not  come here to go       
through a form of words2 ,i have no     
hopeless desires to  express4 ,i have an
 object to gain2 ,i have an end to      
accomplish4 ,this is  a business in     
which ,i am about to engage4 ,an        
astronomer does not turn  his telescope 

to the skies with a more reasonable hope
 of penetrating  those distant heavens1 
than ,i have of reaching the mind of    
,god by  lifting up my heart at the     
throne of grace4 ,this is the privilege 
of my  calling of ,god in ,christ       
,jesus4 ,even my faltering voice is now 
to be  heard in heaven2 and it is to put
 forth a new power there1 the results   
of which only ,god can know1 and only   
eternity can develop4 ,therefore1  ,o   
,lord1 ,thy servant findeth it in his   
heart to pray this prayer unto  ,thee6'0
    ,jeremy ,taylor says3 8,easiness of 
desire is a great enemy to the success  
of a good man's prayer4 ,it must be an  
intent1 zealous1 busy1 operative        
prayer2 for consider what a huge        
indecency it is that a man should  speak
 to ,god for a thing that he values not6
 ,our prayers upbraid our  spirits when 
we beg tamely for those things for which
 we ought to die1  which are more       
precious than imperial sceptres1 richer 
than the spoils  of the sea1 or the     

treasures of ,indian hills40    ,dr4    
,patton1 in his work on 8,remarkable    
,answers to ,prayer10 says3  8,jesus    
bids us seek4 ,imagine a mother seeking 
a lost child4 ,she looks  through the   
house1 and along the streets1 then      
searches the fields  and woods1 and     
examines the river-banks4 ,a wise       
neighbor meets her  and says3 #8,seek   
on1 look everywhere2 search every       
accessible place4  ,you will not find1  
indeed2 but then seeking is a good      
thing4 ,it puts  the mind on the        
stretch2 it fixes the attention2 it aids
 observation2  it makes the idea of the 
child very real4 ,and then1 after a     
while1  you will cease to want your     
child4' ,the words of ,christ are1      
#8,knock1  and it shall be opened unto  
you4' ,imagine a man knocking at the    
door  of a house1 long and loud4 ,after 
he has done this for an hour1 a  window 
opens1 and the occupant of the house    
puts out his head and  says3 #8,that is 
right1 my friend2 ,i shall not open the 

door1 but keep  on knocking--it is      
excellent exercise1 and you will be the 
healthier  for it4 ,knock away till     
sundown2 and then come again1 and knock 
all  to-morrow4 ,after some days thus   
spent you will attain to a state of     
mind in which you will no longer care to
 come in4' ,is this what ,jesus         
intended us to understand1 when ,he     
said--#8,ask1 and ye shall receive2     
seek1 and ye shall find2 knock1 and it  
shall be opened unto you8' ,no  doubt   
one would thus soon cease to ask1 to    
seek1 and to knock2 but  would it not be
 from disgust80    ,nothing is more     
pleasing to our ,father in heaven than  
direct1  importunate1 and persevering   
prayer4 ,two ,christian ladies1 whose   
husbands were unconverted1 feeling their
 great danger1 agreed to spend  one hour
 each day in united prayer for their    
salvation4 ,this was  continued for     
seven years1 when they debated whether  
they should pray  longer1 so useless did
 their prayers appear4 ,they decided to 

persevere  till death1 and1 if their    
husbands went to destruction1 it should 
be laden with prayers4 ,in renewed      
strength1 they prayed three years       
longer1 when one of them was awakened in
 the night by her husband1 who  was in  
great distress for sin4 ,as soon as the 
day dawned1 she hastened1  with joy1 to 
tell her praying companion that ,god was
 about to answer  their prayers4 ,what  
was her surprise to meet her friend     
coming to her  on the same errand6 ,thus
 ten years of united and persevering    
prayer was  crowned with the conversion 
of both husbands on the same day4    ,we
 cannot be too frequent in our requests2
 ,god will not weary of  ,his children's
 prayers4 ,sir ,walter ,raleigh asked a 
favor of ,queen  ,elizabeth1 to which   
she replied1 8,raleigh1 when will you   
leave off  begging80 8,when your        
,majesty leaves off giving10 he replied4
 ,so long  must we continue praying4    
,mr4 ,george ,muller1 in a recent       
address given by him in ,calcutta1 said 

that in #ahdd five individuals were laid
 on his heart1 and he began  to pray for
 them4 ,eighteen months passed away     
before one of them was  converted4 ,he  
prayed on for five years more1 and      
another was converted4  ,at the end of  
twelve years and a half1 a third was    
converted4 ,and  now for forty years he 
had been praying for the other two1     
without  missing one single day on any  
account whatever2 but they were not yet 
converted4 ,he felt encouraged1 however1
 to continue in prayer2 and he  was sure
 of receiving an answer in relation to  
the two who were still  resisting the   
,spirit4          8,to ,see ,his ,face40
        8,sweet is the precious gift of 
prayer1      ,to bow before a throne of 
grace2    ,to leave our every burden    
there1      ,and gain new strength to   
run our race2    ,to gird our heavenly  
armor on1    ,depending on the ,lord    
alone4      8,and sweet the whisper of  
,his love1      ,when conscience sinks  
beneath its load1    ,that bids our     

guilty fears remove1      ,and points to
 ,christ's atoning blood2    ,oh1 then  
'tis sweet indeed to know    ,god can be
 just and gracious too4      8,but oh1  
to see our ,savior's face6      ,from   
sin and sorrow to be freed6    ,to dwell
 in ,his divine embrace--      ,this    
will be sweeter far indeed6    ,the     
fairest form of earthly bliss    ,is    
less than nought1 compared with this40  
,,chapter ,x4    ,,submission4          
,another essential element in prayer is 
,,submission4 ,all true prayer must  be 
offered in full submission to ,god4     
,after we have made our requests  known 
to ,him1 our language should be1 8,thy  
will be done40 ,i would a  thousand     
times rather that ,god's will should be 
done than my own4 ,i  cannot see into   
the future as ,god can2 therefore1 it is
 a good deal  better to let ,him choose 
for me than to choose for myself4 ,i    
know ,his  mind about spiritual things4 
,his will is that ,i should be          
sanctified2  so ,i can with confidence  

pray to ,god for that1 and expect an    
answer to  my prayers4 ,but when it     
comes to temporal matters1 it is        
different2  what ,i ask for may not be  
,god's purpose concerning me4    ,as one
 has well put it3 8,depend upon it1     
prayer does not mean that  ,i am to     
bring ,god down to my thoughts and my   
purposes1 and bend ,his  government     
according to my foolish1 silly1 and     
sometimes sinful  notions4 ,prayer means
 that ,i am to be raised up into        
feeling1 into  union and design with    
,him2 that ,i am to enter into ,his     
counsel1 and  carry out ,his purpose    
fully4 ,i am afraid sometimes we think  
of prayer  as altogether of an opposite 
character1 as if thereby we persuaded   
or influenced our ,father in heaven to  
do whatever comes into our  own minds1  
and whatever would accomplish our       
foolish1 weak-sighted  purposes4 ,i am  
quite convinced of this1 that ,god knows
 better what is  best for me and for the
 world than ,i can possibly know2 and   

even though  it were in my power to say1
 #8,my will be done1' ,i would rather   
say to  ,him1 #8,thy will be done4'0    
,it is reported of a woman1 who1 being  
sick1 was asked whether she was  willing
 to live or die1 that she answered1     
8,which ,god pleases40 8,but10  said    
one1 8if ,god should refer it to you1   
which would you choose80  8,truly10     
replied she1 8,i would refer it to ,him 
again40 ,thus that man  obtains his will
 of ,god1 whose will is subjected to    
,god4    ,mr4 ,spurgeon remarks on this 
subject1 8,the believing man resorts to 
,god  at all times1 that he may keep up 
his fellowship with the ,divine mind4   
,prayer is not a soliloquy1 but a       
dialogue2 not an introspection1 but  a  
looking toward the hills1 whence cometh 
our help4 ,there is a relief  in        
unburdening the mind to a sympathetic   
friend1 and faith feels this            
abundantly2 but there is more than this 
in prayer4 ,when an obedient  activity  
has gone to the full length of its line1

 and yet the needful  thing is not      
reached1 then the hand of ,god is       
trusted in to go beyond  us1 just as    
before it was relied upon to go with us4
 ,faith has no  desire to have its own  
will1 when that will is not in          
accordance with  the mind of ,god2 for  
such a desire would at bottom be the    
impulse of  an unbelief which did not   
rely upon ,god's judgment as our best   
guide4  ,faith knows that ,god's will is
 the highest good1 and that anything    
which is beneficial to us will be       
granted to our petitions40    ,history  
informs us that the ,tusculani1 a people
 of ,italy1 having  offended the        
,romans1 whose power was infinitely     
superior to theirs1  ,camillus1 at the  
head of a considerable army1 was on his 
march to  subdue them4 ,conscious of    
their inability to cope with such an    
enemy1  they took the following method  
to appease him3 ,they declined all      
thoughts of resistance1 set open their  
gates1 and every man applied  himself to

 his proper business1 resolving to      
submit where they knew  it was in vain  
to contend4 ,camillus1 entering their   
city1 was struck  with the wisdom and   
candor of their conduct1 and addressed  
himself to  them in these words3 8,you  
only1 of all people1 have found out the 
true  method of abating the ,roman fury2
 and your submission has proved your    
best defense4 ,upon these terms1 we can 
no more find in our heart to  injure you
 than upon other terms you could have   
found power to oppose  us40 ,the chief  
magistrate replied3 8,we have so        
sincerely repented of  our former folly1
 that in confidence of that satisfaction
 to a generous  enemy1 we are not afraid
 to acknowledge our fault40    ,in view 
of the difficulty of bringing our hearts
 to this complete  submission to the    
,divine will1 we may well adopt         
,fenelon's prayer3 8,o  ,god1 take my   
heart1 for ,i cannot give it2 and when  
,thou hast it1 keep  it2 for ,i cannot  
keep it for ,thee2 and save me in spite 

of myself40    ,some of the best men the
 world has ever seen have made great    
mistakes  on this point4 ,moses could   
pray for ,israel1 and could prevail with
  ,god2 but ,god did not answer his     
petition for himself4 ,he asked that    
,god would take him over ,jordan1 that  
he might see ,lebanon2 and after  the   
forty years' wandering in the           
wilderness1 he desired to go into  the  
,promised ,land2 but the ,lord did not  
grant his desire4 ,was that  a sign that
 ,god did not love him8 ,by no means4   
,he was a man greatly  beloved of ,god1 
like ,daniel2 and yet ,god did not      
answer this prayer of  his4 ,your child 
says1 8,i want this or that10 but you do
 not grant the  request1 because you    
know that it will be the ruin of the    
child to give  him everything he wants4 
,moses wished to enter the ,promised    
,land2 but  the ,lord had something else
 in store for him4 ,as some one has     
said1  ,god kissed away his soul1 and   
took him home to ,himself4 8,god buried 

him0--the greatest honor ever paid to   
mortal man4    ,fifteen hundred years   
afterward ,god answered the prayer of   
,moses2 ,he  allowed him to go into the 
,promised ,land1 and to get a glimpse of
 the  coming glory4 ,on the ,mount of   
,transfiguration1 with ,elijah1 the     
great  prophet1 and with ,peter1 ,james1
 and ,john1 he heard the voice come from
  the throne of ,god1 8,this is ,my     
beloved ,son2 hear ye ,him40 ,that was  
better than to have gone over ,jordan1  
as ,joshua did1 and to sojourn for      
thirty years in the land of ,canaan4 ,so
 when our prayers for earthly  things   
are not answered1 let us submit to the  
will of ,god1 and know  that it is all  
right4    ,when one inquired of a deaf  
and dumb boy why he thought he was born 
deaf and dumb1 taking the chalk he wrote
 upon the board1 8,even so1  ,father2   
for so it seemed good in ,thy sight40   
,john ,brown1 of ,haddington1 once said4
 8,no doubt ,i have met with trials     
like others2 but yet so kind has ,god   

been to me1 that ,i think if ,he  were  
to give me as many years as ,i have     
lived in the world1 ,i would not  desire
 one single circumstance in my lot      
changed1 except that ,i wish  there had 
been less sin4 ,it might be written on  
my coffin1 #8,here lies  one of the     
cares of ,providence1 who early lost    
both father and mother1  and yet never  
wanted for the care of either4'0        
,elijah was mighty in prayer2 he brought
 fire down from heaven on his           
sacrifice1 and his petitions brought    
rain on the thirsty land4 ,he stood     
fearlessly before ,king ,ahab in the    
power of prayer4 ,yet we find him       
sitting under a juniper-tree like a     
coward1 asking ,god that ,he would  let 
him die4 ,the ,lord loved him too well  
for that2 ,he was going to take  him up 
to heaven in a chariot of fire4 ,so we  
must not allow the devil  to take       
advantage of us1 and make us believe    
that ,god does not love  us because ,he 
does not grant all our petitions in the 

time and way we  would have ,him do4    
,as ,moses takes up more room in the    
,old ,testament than any other          
character1 so it is with ,paul in the   
,new ,testament1 except1 perhaps1  the  
,lord ,himself4 ,yet ,paul did not know 
how to pray for himself4 ,he  besought  
the ,lord to take away 8the thorn in the
 flesh40 ,his request  was not granted2 
but the ,lord bestowed upon him a       
greater blessing4  ,he gave him more    
grace4 ,it may be we have some          
trial--some thorn in  the flesh4 ,if it 
is not ,god's will to take it away1 let 
us ask ,him to  give us more grace1 in  
order to bear it4 ,we find that ,paul   
gloried in  his reverses and his        
infirmities1 because all the more the   
power of  ,god rested upon him4 ,it may 
be there are some of us who feel as if  
everything is against us4 ,may ,god give
 us grace to take ,paul's platform  and 
say3 8,all things work together for good
 to them that love ,god40 ,so  when we  
pray to ,god we must be submissive1 and 

say1 8,thy will be done40    ,in the    
,gospel of ,john we read3 8,if ye0 7that
 8if0 is a mountain to  begin with71    
8,if ye abide in ,me1 and ,my words     
abide in you1 ye shall  ask what ye     
will1 and it shall be done unto you40   
,the latter part is  often quoted1 but  
not the first4 ,why1 there is very      
little abiding in  ,christ now-a-days6  
,you go and visit ,him once in a while2 
but that is  all4 ,if ,christ is in my  
heart1 of course ,i will not ask        
anything that  is against ,his will4    
,and how many of us have ,god's ,word   
abiding in us8  ,we must have a warrant 
for our prayers4 ,if we have some great 
desire1  we must search the ,scriptures 
to find if it be right to ask it4 ,there
  are many things we want that are not  
good for us2 and many other things  we  
desire to avoid are really our best     
blessings4 ,a friend of mine was        
shaving one morning1 and his little boy1
 not four years old1 asked him  for his 
razor1 and said he wanted to whittle    

with it4 ,when he found he  could not   
get it1 he began to cry as if his heart 
would break4 ,i am  afraid that there   
are a great many of us who are praying  
for razors4  ,john ,bunyan blessed ,god 
for that ,bedford jail more than for    
anything  else that happened to him in  
this life4 ,we never pray for           
affliction2  and yet it is often the    
best thing we could ask4    ,dyer says3 
8,afflictions are blessings to us when  
we can bless ,god for  afflictions4     
,suffering has kept many from sinning4  
,god had one ,son  without sin2 but ,he 
never had any without sorrow4 ,fiery    
trials make  golden ,christians2        
sanctified afflictions are spiritual    
promotions40    ,rutherford beautifully 
writes1 in reference to the value of    
sanctified  trial1 and the wisdom of    
submitting in it to ,god's will3 8,oh1  
what  owe ,i to the file1 to the hammer1
 to the furnace of my ,lord ,jesus1 who 
hath now let me see how good the wheat  
of ,christ is that goeth through  ,his  

mill and ,his oven1 to be made bread for
 ,his own table6 ,grace tried  is better
 than grace2 and it is more than grace2 
it is glory in its  infancy4 ,i now see 
that ,godliness is more than the        
outside1 and this  world's passments and
 their bushings4 ,who knoweth the truth 
of grace  without a trial8 ,oh1 how     
little getteth ,christ of us1 but that  
which  ,he winneth 7to speak so7 with   
much toil and pains6 ,and how soon would
  faith freeze without a cross6 ,how    
many dumb crosses have been laid upon   
my back1 that had never a tongue to     
speak the sweetness of ,christ1 as  this
 hath6 ,when ,christ blesseth ,his own  
crosses with a tongue1 they  breathe out
 ,christ's love1 wisdom1 kindness1 and  
care for us4 ,why  should ,i start at   
the plough of my ,lord1 that maketh deep
 furrows on  my soul8 ,i know that ,he  
is no idle husbandman2 ,he purposeth a  
crop4 ,oh  that this white1 withered    
lea-ground were made fertile to bear a  
crop  for ,him1 by whom it is so        

painfully drest1 and that this fallow   
ground  were broken up6 ,why was ,i 7a  
fool67 grieved that ,he put ,his garland
 and  ,his rose upon my head--the glory 
and honor of ,his faithful witnesses8   
,i desire now to make no more pleas with
 ,christ4 ,verily ,he hath not put  me  
to a loss by what ,i suffer2 ,he oweth  
me nothing2 for in my bonds how  sweet  
and comfortable have the thoughts of    
,him been to me1 wherein ,i  find a     
sufficient recompense of reward6 ,how   
blind are my adversaries  who sent me to
 a banqueting house1 to a house of wine1
 to the lovely  feasts of my lovely     
,lord ,jesus1 and not to a prison1 or   
place of exile60    ,we may close our   
remarks on this subject by a reference  
to the words  of the ,prophet ,jeremiah1
 in ,lamentations1 where he says3 8,the 
,lord is  good unto them that wait for  
,him1 to the soul that seeketh ,him4 ,it
 is  good that a man should both hope   
and quietly wait for the salvation of   
the ,lord4 ,it is good for a man that he

 bear the yoke in his youth4 ,he        
sitteth alone and keepeth silence2      
because he hath borne it upon him4  ,he 
putteth his mouth in the dust2 if so be 
there may be hope4 ,he giveth  his cheek
 to him that smiteth him2 he is filled  
full with reproach4  ,for the ,lord will
 not cast off forever2 but though ,he   
cause grief1 yet  will ,he have         
compassion according to the multitude of
 ,his mercies4 ,for  ,he doth not       
afflict willingly1 nor grieve the       
children of men4444 ,who  is he that    
saith1 and it cometh to pass1 when the  
,lord commandeth it  not8 ,out of the   
mouth of the most ,high proceedeth not  
evil and good8  ,wherefore doth a living
 man complain1 a man for the punishment 
of his  sins8 ,let us search and try our
 ways1 and turn again to the ,lord4 ,let
  us lift up our heart with our hands   
unto ,god in the heavens40              
,submission4        8,hear me1 my ,god1 
and if my lip hath dared      ,to murmur
 'neath ,thy ,hand1 oh1 teach me now    

,to feel each inmost thought before     
,thee bared1      ,and this rebellious  
will in faith to bow4    ,though ,i wept
 wildly o'er the ruined shrine1         
,where earthly idols held ,thy place    
alone1    ,now purify and make this     
temple ,thine1      ,and teach me1      
,lord1 to say1 #8,thy will be done6'    
8,what can ,i bring to offer that is    
mine8      ,a youth of sorrow1 and a    
life of sin4    ,what can ,i lay upon   
,thy hallowed shrine1      ,one hope of 
pardon for the past to win8    ,while   
thus a suppliant at ,thy feet ,i bow1   
,still dare ,i lift to ,thee my tearful 
eyes1    ,i plead the promise of ,thy   
word1 that ,thou      ,a broken1        
contrite heart will not despise4        
8,what shall ,i bring8 ,a bruised       
spirit1 ,lord1      ,worn with the      
contest1 pining now for rest1    ,and   
yearning for ,thy peace1 as some poor   
bird1      ',mid the wild tempest1 seeks
 its mother's breast1    ,my sacrifice1 
the ,lamb who died for me2      ,i plead

 the merits of ,thy sinless ,son2    ,i 
bring ,thy promises2 ,i trust in ,thee2 
,in love ,thou smitest2 ,lord1 #8,thy   
will be done6'0          ,,chapter ,,xi4
    ,,answered ,,prayers4      ,in the  
fifteenth chapter of ,john and the      
seventh verse1 we find who  have their  
prayers answered--8,if ye abide in ,me1 
and ,my words abide in  you1 ye shall   
ask what ye will1 and it shall be done  
unto you40 ,now in  the fourth chapter  
of ,james1 in the third verse1 we find  
some spoken of  whose prayers were not  
answered3 8,ye ask1 and receive not1    
because ye  ask amiss40 ,there are a    
great many prayers not answered because 
there  is not the right motive2 we have 
not complied with the ,word of ,god2 we 
ask amiss4 ,it is a good thing that our 
prayers are not answered when we  ask   
amiss4    ,if our prayers are not       
answered1 it may be that we have prayed 
without the right motive2 or that we    
have not prayed according to the        
,scriptures4 ,so let us not be          

discouraged1 or give up praying1        
although  our prayers are not answered  
in the way we want them4    ,a man once 
went to ,george ,muller and said he     
wanted him to pray for  a certain thing4
 ,the man stated that he had asked ,god 
a great many  times to grant him his    
request1 but ,he had not seen fit to do 
it4 ,mr4  ,muller took out his          
note-book1 and showed the man the name  
of a person  for whom1 he said1 he had  
prayed for twenty-four years4 ,the      
prayer1  ,mr4 ,muller added1 was not    
answered yet2 but the ,lord had given   
him  assurance that that person was     
going to be converted1 and his faith    
rested there4    ,we sometimes find that
 our prayers are answered right away    
while we  are praying2 at other times   
the answer is delayed4 ,but especially  
when men pray for mercy1 how quickly the
 answer comes6 ,look at ,paul1  when he 
cried1 8,o ,lord1 what wilt ,thou have  
me to do80 ,the answer  came at once4   
,then the publican who went up to the   

temple to pray--he  got an immediate    
answer4 ,the thief on the cross prayed1 
8,lord1  remember me when ,thou comest  
into ,thy ,kingdom60 and the answer came
  immediately--then and there4 ,there   
are many cases of a similar kind in  the
 ,bible1 but there are also others who  
prayed long and often4 ,the  ,lord      
delights in hearing ,his children make  
their requests known unto  ,him--telling
 their troubles all out to ,him2 and    
then we should wait for  ,his time4 ,we 
do not know when that is4    ,there was 
a mother in ,connecticut who had a son  
in the army1 and it  almost broke her   
heart when he left1 because he was not a
 ,christian4  ,day after day she lifted 
up her voice in prayer for her boy4 ,she
  afterward learned that he had been    
taken to the hospital1 and there  died1 
but she could not find out anything     
about how he had died4 ,years  passed1  
and one day a friend came to see some   
member of the family on  business4      
,there was a picture of the soldier boy 

upon the wall4 ,he  looked at it1 and   
said1 8,did you know that young man80   
,the mother said1  8,that young man was 
my son4 ,he died in the late war40 ,the 
man replied1  8,i knew him very well2 he
 was in my company40 ,the mother then   
asked1  8,do you know anything about his
 end80 ,the man said1 8,i was in the    
hospital1 and he died a most peaceful   
death1 triumphant in the faith40  ,the  
mother had given up hope of ever hearing
 of her boy2 but before she  went hence 
she had the satisfaction of knowing that
 her prayers had  prevailed with ,god4  
,i think we shall find a great many of  
our prayers that we thought  unanswered 
answered when we get to heaven4 ,if it  
is the true prayer  of faith1 ,god will 
not disappoint us4 ,let us not doubt    
,god4 ,on  one occasion1 at a meeting ,i
 attended1 a gentleman pointed out an   
individual and said1 8,do you see that  
man over there8 ,that is one  of the    
leaders of an infidel club40 ,i sat down
 beside him1 when the  infidel said1 8,i

 am not a ,christian4 ,you have been    
humbugging these  people long enough1   
and making some of these old women      
believe that you  get answers to prayer4
 ,try it on me40 ,i prayed1 and when ,i 
got up1 the  infidel said with a good   
deal of sarcasm1 8,i am not converted2  
,god has  not answered your prayer60 ,i 
said1 8,but you may be converted yet40  
,some  time afterwards ,i received a    
letter from a friend1 stating that he   
had  been converted and was at work in  
the meetings4    ,jeremiah prayed1 and  
said3 8,ah1 ,lord ,god6 ,behold ,thou   
hast made the  heaven and the earth by  
,thy great power and stretched-out ,arm1
 and  there is nothing too hard for     
,thee40 ,nothing is too hard for ,god2  
that is a good thing to take for a      
motto4 ,i believe this is a time of     
great blessing in the world1 and we may 
expect great things4 ,while the         
blessing is falling all around1 let us  
arise and share in it4 ,god has  said1  
8,call unto ,me1 and ,i will answer     

thee1 and show thee great and  mighty   
things which thou knowest not40 ,now let
 us call on the ,lord2 and  let us pray 
that it may be done for ,christ's       
sake--not our own4    ,at a ,christian  
convention a number of years ago1 a     
leading man got up  and spoke--his      
subject being 8,for ,christ's           
,sake0--and he threw new  light upon    
that passage4 ,i had never seen it in   
that way before4 ,when  the war broke   
out the gentleman's only son had        
enlisted1 and he never  saw a company of
 soldiers but his heart went right out  
after them4  ,they started a ,soldiers' 
,home in the city where that gentleman  
lived1  and he gladly went on the       
committee1 and acted as ,president4     
,some time  afterward he said to his    
wife1 8,i have given so much time to    
these  soldiers that ,i have neglected  
my business10 and he went down to his   
office with the fixed determination that
 he would not be disturbed by  any      
soldiers that day4 ,the door opened soon

 after1 and he saw a soldier  entering4 
,he never minded him1 but kept on       
writing2 and the poor fellow  stood for 
some time4 ,at last the soldier put down
 an old soiled piece  of paper on which 
there was writing4 ,the gentleman       
observed that it  was the handwriting of
 his son1 and he seized the letter at   
once and  read it4 ,it was something to 
this effect3 8,dear father1 this young  
man belongs to my company4 ,he has lost 
his health in defense of his  country1  
and he is on his way home to his mother 
to die4 ,treat him  kindly for          
,charlie's sake40 ,the gentleman at once
 dropped his work and  took the soldier 
to his house1 where he was kindly cared 
for until  he was able to be sent home  
to his mother2 then he took him to the  
station1 and sent him home with a 8,god 
bless you1 for ,charlie's sake60    ,let
 our prayers1 then1 be for ,christ's    
sake4 ,if we want our sons and          
daughters converted1 let us pray that it
 be done for ,christ's sake4  ,if that  

is the motive1 our prayers will be      
answered4 ,if ,god gave up  ,christ for 
the world1 what will ,he not give us8   
,if ,he gave ,christ to  the murderers  
and blasphemers1 and the rebels of a    
world lying in  wickedness and sin1 what
 would ,he not give to those who go to  
,him for  ,christ's sake8 ,let our      
prayer be that ,god may advance ,his    
work1 not for  our glory--not for our   
sake--but for the sake of ,his beloved  
,son whom  ,he hath sent4    ,so let us 
remember that when we pray we ought to  
expect an answer4  ,let us be looking   
for it4 ,i remember at the close of a   
meeting in one  of our ,southern cities 
near the close of the war1 a man came up
 to  me weeping and trembling4 ,i       
thought something ,i had said had       
aroused  him1 and ,i began to question  
him as to what it was4 ,i found1        
however1  that he could not tell a word 
of what ,i had said4 8,my friend10 said 
,i1  8what is the trouble80 ,he put his 
hand into his pocket1 and brought out  a

 letter1 all soiled1 as if his tears had
 fallen on it4 8,i got that  letter10 he
 said1 8from my sister last night4 ,she 
tells me that every  night she goes on  
her knees and prays to ,god for me4 ,i  
think ,i am the  worst man in all the   
,army of the ,cumberland4 ,i have been  
perfectly  wretched to-day40 ,that      
sister was six hundred miles away1 but  
she had  brought her brother to his     
knees in answer to her earnest1         
believing  prayer4 ,it was a hard case1 
but ,god heard and answered the prayer  
of  this ,godly sister1 so that the man 
was as clay in the hands of the  potter4
 ,he was soon brought into the ,kingdom 
of ,god--all through his  sister's      
prayers4    ,i went off some thirty     
miles to another place1 where ,i told   
this story4  ,a young man1 a lieutenant 
in the army1 sprang to his feet and     
said1  8,that reminds me of the last    
letter ,i got from my mother4 ,she told 
me  that every night as the sun went    
down she prayed for me4 ,she begged  of 

me1 when ,i got her letter1 to go away  
alone1 and yield myself to  ,god4 ,i put
 the letter in my pocket1 thinking there
 would be plenty of  time40 ,he went on 
to say that the next news that came from
 home was  that that mother was gone4   
,he went out into the woods alone1 and  
cried  to his mother's ,god to have     
mercy upon him4 ,as he stood in the     
meeting  with his face shining1 that    
lieutenant said3 8,my mother's prayers  
are  answered2 and my only regret is    
that she did not live to know it2 but ,i
  will meet her by-and-by40 ,so1 though 
we may not live to see the answer  to   
our prayers1 if we cry mightily to ,god1
 the answer will come4    ,in ,scotland1
 a good many years ago1 there lived a   
man with his wife and  three            
children--two girls and a boy4 ,he was  
in the habit of getting  drunk1 and thus
 losing his situation4 ,at last1 he said
 he would take  ,johnnie1 and go off to 
,america1 where he would be away from   
his old  associates1 and where he could 

commence life over again4 ,he took the  
little fellow1 seven years old1 and went
 away4 ,soon after he arrived  in       
,america1 he went into a saloon and got 
drunk4 ,he got separated from  his boy  
in the streets1 and he has never been   
seen by his friends  since4 ,the little 
fellow was placed in an institution1 and
 afterward  apprenticed in              
,massachusetts4 ,after he had been there
 some time1 he  became discontented1 and
 went off to sea2 finally1 he came to   
,chicago  to work on the lakes4 ,he had 
been a roving spirit1 had gone over sea 
and land1 and now he was in ,chicago4   
,when the vessel came into port1  one   
time1 he was invited to a ,gospel       
meeting4 ,the joyful sound of the       
,gospel reached him1 and he became a    
,christian4    ,after he had been a     
,christian a little while1 he became    
very anxious to  find his mother4 ,he   
wrote to different places in ,scotland1 
but could  not find out where she was4  
,one day he read in the ,psalms--8,no   

good  thing will ,he withhold from them 
that walk uprightly40 ,he closed his    
,bible1 got down on his knees1 and said3
 8,o ,god1 ,i have been trying to  walk 
uprightly for months past2 help me to   
find my mother40 ,it came  into his mind
 to write back to the place in          
,massachusetts from which he  had run   
away years before4 ,it turned out that a
 letter from ,scotland  had been waiting
 for him there for seven years4 ,he     
wrote at once to  the place in          
,scotland1 and found that his mother was
 still living2 the  answer came back    
immediately4 ,i would like you to have  
seen him when he  got that letter4 ,he  
brought it to me2 and the tears flowed  
so that he  could scarcely read it4 ,his
 sister had written on behalf of the    
mother2  she had been so overcome by the
 tidings of her long-lost boy that she  
could not write4    ,the sister said    
that all the nineteen years he had been 
away1 his  mother had prayed to ,god day
 and night that he might be saved1 and  

that  she might live to know what had   
become of him1 and see him once more4   
,now1 said the sister1 she was so       
overjoyed1 not only that he was alive1  
but that he had become a ,christian4 ,it
 was not long before the mother  and    
sisters came out to ,chicago to meet    
him4    ,i mention this incident to show
 how ,god answers prayer4 ,this mother  
cried to ,god for nineteen long years4  
,it must have seemed to her  sometimes  
as though ,god did not mean to give her 
the desire of her  heart2 but she kept  
praying1 and at last the answer came4   
,the following personal testimony was   
publicly given at one of our  meetings  
lately held in ,london1 and may serve to
 help and encourage  readers of these   
pages4      ,a ,,prayer-,,meeting       
,,testimony4    8,i want you to         
understand1 my friends1 that what ,i    
state is not what ,i  did1 but what ,god
 did4 ,god only could have done it6 ,i  
had given it  up as a bad job1 long     
before4 ,but it is of ,god's great mercy

 that ,i am  standing here to-night1 to 
tell you that ,christ is able to save to
 the  uttermost all that come to ,god   
through ,him4    8,the reading of those 
#8requests' for the salvation of        
inebriates  touched me very deeply      
indeed4 ,they seemed to be an echo of   
many a  request for prayer which has    
been made for me4 ,and1 from my         
knowledge  of society generally1 and of 
human nature1 ,i know that in a very    
great  number of families there is need 
of some such request4    8,therefore if 
what ,i may tell you will cheer any     
,christian heart1  encourage any ,godly 
father and mother to go on praying for  
their sons1  or assist any man or woman 
who has felt himself or herself beyond  
the  reach of hope1 ,i shall thank ,god 
for it4    8,i had very good            
opportunities4 ,my parents loved the    
,lord ,jesus1 and  did their best to    
train me up in the right path2 and for  
some time  ,i thought myself that ,i    
should be a ,christian4 ,but ,i got away

 from  ,christ1 and turned further and  
further away from ,god and all good     
influences4    8,it was at a public     
school where ,i first learned to drink4 
,many a time  at seventeen ,i drank to  
excess1 but ,i had an amount of         
self-respect  that kept me from going   
thoroughly to the bad till ,i was about 
twenty-three2 but from then till ,i was 
twenty-six1 ,i went steadily down  hill4
 ,at ,cambridge ,i went on further and  
further in drinking1 until ,i  lost all 
self-respect1 and voluntarily chose the 
worst of companions4    8,i strayed     
further and further from ,god1 until my 
friends1 those who  were ,christians and
 those who were not1 considered1 and    
told me that  there was very little hope
 for me4 ,i had been pleaded with by all
 sorts  of people1 but ,i #8hated       
reproof4' ,i hated everything that      
savored of  religion1 and ,i sneered at 
every bit of good advice1 or any kind   
word  offered me in that way4    8,my   
father and mother both died without     

seeing me brought to the ,lord4  ,they  
prayed for me all the time they lived1  
and at the very last my  mother asked me
 if ,i would not follow her to be with  
her in heaven4  ,to quiet and soothe    
her1 ,i said ,i would4 ,but ,i did not  
mean it2 and ,i  thought1 when she had  
passed away1 that she knew now my real  
feelings4  ,after her death ,i went from
 bad to worse1 and plunged deeper and   
deeper  into vice4 ,drink got a stronger
 hold of me1 and ,i went lower and lower
  down4 ,i was never #8in the gutter1'  
in the acceptation in which that  term  
is generally understood2 but ,i was as  
low in my soul as any man  who lives in 
one of the common lodging-houses4    8,i
 went from ,cambridge first to a town in
 the north1 where ,i was  articled to a 
solicitor2 and then to ,london4 ,while  
,i was in the north1  ,messrs4 ,moody   
and ,sankey came to the town ,i lived   
in2 and an aunt of  mine1 who was still 
praying for me after my mother's death1 
came and  said to me1 #8,i have a favor 

to ask of you4' ,she had been very kind 
to  me1 and ,i knew what she wanted4    
,she said1 #8,it is to go and hear      
,messrs4  ,moody and ,sankey4' #8,very  
good1' ,i said2 #8it is a bargain4 ,i   
will go  and hear the men2 but you are  
never to ask me again4 ,you will promise
  that8' #8,yes1' she said1 #8,i do4' ,i
 went1 and kept1 as ,i thought1 most    
religiously my share of the bargain4    
8,i waited until the sermon was over1   
and ,i saw ,mr4 ,moody coming down  from
 the pulpit4 ,earnest prayer had been   
offered for me1 and there  had been an  
understanding between my aunt and him   
that the sermon  should apply to me1 and
 that he would come and speak to me     
immediately  afterward4 ,we met ,mr4    
,moody in the aisle1 and ,i thought that
 ,i had done  a very clever thing when  
,i walked round my aunt1 before ,mr4    
,moody could  address me1 and out of the
 building4    8,i wandered further from 
,god after that2 and ,i do not think    
that ,i  bent my knees in prayer for    

between two and three years4 ,i went to 
,london1 and things grew worse and      
worse4 ,at times ,i tried to pull up4   
,i made any number of resolutions4 ,i   
promised myself and my friends not  to  
touch the drink4 ,i kept my resolutions 
for some days1 and1 on one  occasion1   
for six months2 but the temptation came 
with stronger force  than ever1 and     
swept me further and further from the   
pathway of virtue4  ,when in ,london ,i 
neglected my business and everything ,i 
ought to have  done1 and sank deeper    
into sin4    8,one of my boon companions
 said to me1 #8,if you don't pull up1   
you will  kill yourself4' #8,how is     
that8' ,i asked4 #8,you are killing     
yourself1 for  you can't drink so much  
as you used to4' #8,well1' ,i replied1  
#8,i can't  help it1 then4' ,i got to   
such a state that ,i did not think there
 was  any possible help for me4    8,the
 recital of these things pains me2 and  
as ,i relate them1 ,god forbid  that ,i 
should feel anything but shame4 ,i am   

telling you these things  because we    
have a ,savior2 and if the ,lord ,jesus 
,christ saved even me1  ,he is able also
 to save you4    8,affairs went on in   
this manner until1 at last1 ,i lost all 
control over  myself4    8,i had been   
drinking and playing billiards one day1 
and in the evening  ,i returned to my   
lodgings4 ,i thought that ,i would sit  
there awhile1  and then go out again1 as
 usual4 ,before going out1 ,i began to  
think1  and the thought struck me1      
#8,how will all this end8' #8,oh1' ,i   
thought to  myself1 #8what is the use of
 that8 ,i know how it will end--in my   
eternal  destruction1 body and soul6' ,i
 felt ,i was killing myself--my body2   
and ,i knew too well what would be the  
result to my soul4 ,i thought  it       
impossible for me to be saved4 ,but the 
thought came to me very  strongly1 #8,is
 there any way of escape8' #8,no1' ,i   
said2 #8,i have made any  number of     
resolutions4 ,i have done all ,i could  
to keep clear of drink1  but ,i can't4  

,it is impossible4'    8,just at that   
moment the words came into my mind1 from
 ,god's own  ,word--words that ,i had   
not remembered since ,i was a boy3      
#8,with men  this is impossible2 but    
with ,god all things are possible4' ,and
 then ,i  saw1 in a flash1 that what ,i 
had just admitted1 as ,i had done       
hundreds  of times before1 to be an     
impossibility1 was the one thing that   
,god  had pledged ,himself to do1 if ,i 
would go to ,him4 ,all the difficulties 
came up in my way--my companions1 my    
surroundings of all sorts1 and my       
temptations2 but ,i just looked up and  
thought1 #8,it is possible with  ,god4' 
8,i went down on my knees there and     
then1 in my room1 and began to  ask ,god
 to do the impossible4 ,as soon as ,i   
prayed to ,him1 with very  stammering   
utterance--,i had not prayed for nearly 
three years--,i  thought1 #8,now1 then1 
,god will help me4' ,i took hold of ,his
 truth1 ,i  don't know how4 ,it was nine
 days before ,i knew how1 and before ,i 

had  any assurance1 or peace and rest1  
to my soul4 ,i got up1 there and then1  
with the hope that ,god would save me4  
,i took it to be the truth1 and ,i      
ultimately proved it2 for which ,i      
praise ,god4    8,i thought the best    
thing ,i could do would be to go and get
 somebody  to talk to me about my soul1 
and tell me how to be saved2 for ,i was 
a  perfect heathen1 though ,i had been  
brought up so well4 ,i went out and     
hunted about ,london2 and it shows how  
little ,i knew of religious people  and 
places of worship1 that ,i could not    
find a ,wesleyan chapel4 ,my  mother and
 father were ,wesleyans1 and ,i thought 
,i would find a place  belonging to     
their denomination2 but ,i could not4 ,i
 searched an hour  and a half2 and that 
night ,i was in the most utter1 abject  
misery of  body and soul any man can    
think of or conceive4    8,i came home  
to my lodgings and went upstairs1 and   
thought to myself1  #8,i will not go to 
bed till ,i am saved4' ,but ,i was so   

ill from  drinking--,i had not had my   
usual amount of food in the evening2 and
 the  reaction was so tremendous1 that  
,i felt ,i must go to bed 7although ,i  
dared not71 or ,i should be in a very   
serious condition in the morning4    8,i
 knew how ,i should be in the morning1  
thinking1 #8what a fool ,i was  last    
night6' when ,i would wake up moderately
 fresh1 and go off to  drink again1 as  
,i had often done4 ,but again ,i        
thought1 #8,god can do the  impossible4 
,he will do that which ,i cannot do     
myself4' ,and ,i prayed to  the ,lord to
 let me wake up in much the same        
condition as that in which  ,i went to  
bed1 feeling the weight of my sins and  
my misery4 ,then ,i  went to sleep4 ,the
 first thing in the morning1 as soon as 
,i remembered  where ,i was1 ,i thought1
 #8,has the conviction left me8' ,no2 ,i
 was more  miserable than before1       
and--it seemed strange1 though it was   
natural--,i  got up1 and thanked the    
,lord because ,he had kept me anxious   

about my  soul4    8,have you ever felt 
like that8 ,perhaps after some meeting  
or  conversation with some ,christian1  
or reading the ,word of ,god1 you have  
gone to your room miserable and #8almost
 persuaded4'    8,i went on for eight or
 nine days seeking the ,lord4 ,on the   
,saturday  morning ,i had to go and tell
 the clerks4 ,that was hard4 ,i did it  
with  the tears running down my cheeks4 
,a man does not like to cry before      
other men4 ,anyway1 ,i told them ,i     
wanted to become1 and meant to  become1 
a ,christian4 ,the ,lord helped me with 
that promise1 #8,with ,god  all things  
are possible4'    8,a sceptic dropped   
his head1 and said nothing4 ,another    
fellow1 with  whom ,i played billiards1 
said1 #8,i wish ,i had the pluck to say 
so  myself6' ,my words were received in 
a different way from what ,i thought    
they would be4 ,but the very man who had
 told me that ,i was killing  myself    
with drink1 spent an hour and a half    
trying to get me to drink1  saying1 that

 ,i #8had the blues1 and was out of     
sorts2 and that a glass  of brandy or   
whisky would do me good4' ,he tried to  
get me to drink2 and  ,i turned upon him
 at last1 and said1 #8,you remember what
 you said to me2  ,i am trying to get   
away from drink1 and not to touch it    
again4' ,when ,i  think of that ,i am   
reminded of the words of ,god ,himself3 
#8,the tender  mercies of the wicked are
 cruel4'    8,and now the ,lord drew me 
on until the little thread became a     
cable1  by which my soul could swing4   
,he drew me nearer2 until ,i found that 
,he  was my ,savior4 ,truly ,he is      
#8able to save to the uttermost all that
 come  unto ,god by ,him4'    8,i must  
not forget to tell you that ,i went down
 before ,god in my  misery1 my          
helplessness1 and my sin1 and owned to  
,him that it was  impossible that ,i    
should be saved2 that it was impossible 
for me to  keep clear of drink2 but from
 that night to this moment1 ,i have     
never  had the slightest desire for     

drink4    8,it was a hard struggle      
indeed to give up smoking4 ,but ,god in 
,his  great wisdom1 knew that ,i must   
have come to grief if ,i had to fight   
single-handed against the overwhelming  
desire ,i had for drink2 and ,he  took  
that desire1 too1 clean away4 ,from that
 day to this the ,lord has  kept me away
 from drink1 and made me hate it most   
bitterly4 ,i simply  said that ,i had   
not any strength2 nor have ,i now2 but  
it is the ,lord  ,jesus who #8is able   
also to save them to the uttermost that 
come unto  ,god by ,him4'    8,if there 
is any one hearing me who has given up  
all hope1 come to the  ,savior6 ,that is
 ,his name1 for #8,he shall save ,his   
people from their  sins4' ,wherever ,i  
have gone1 since then1 ,i have found    
,him to be my  ,savior4 ,god forbid that
 ,i should glory6 ,it would be glorying 
in my  shame4 ,it is to my shame that ,i
 speak thus of myself2 but oh1 the      
,savior is able to save1 and ,he will   
save6    8,christian friends1 continue  

to pray4 ,you may go to heaven before   
your  sons are brought home4 ,my parents
 did2 and my sisters prayed for me for  
years and years4 ,but now ,i can help   
others on their way to ,zion4 ,praise   
the ,lord for all ,his mercy to me6     
8,remember1 #8with ,god all things are  
possible4' ,and then you may say  like  
,st4 ,paul1 #8,i can do all things      
through ,christ which strengtheneth     
me4'0          8,look ,up40        8,o  
soul most desolate1 look up6 ,for thee  
,one faithful voice doth promise sure   
relief4      ,whate'er thy sin1 whate'er
 thy sorrow be1      ,tell all to       
,jesus4 ,he looketh where      ,the     
weary-hearted weep1 and draweth near    
,to listen fondly to the half-formed    
prayer1      ,or read the silent        
pleading of a tear4      ,lose not thy  
privilege1 ,o silent soul2      ,pour   
out thy sorrow at thy ,savior's feet4   
,what outcast spurns the hand that gives
 the dole8      ,oh1 let ,him hear thy  
voice2 to ,him thy voice is sweet40     

,a4 ,s4      ,,notice4--,all former     
books 7before this series71 issued in   
,mr4 ,moody's name1 have been mere      
compilations    from newspaper reports  
of his sermons1    issued without his   
consent and    notwithstanding his      
protest4            ,,works ,,by        
,,mr4 ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody1      ,,published 
,,by      ,f4 ,h4 ,,revell1 #adh  #aej  
,,madison ,,st41    ,,chicago4    ,the  
following ,books sent postpaid on       
receipt of  price4      ,over #cej1jjj  
copies of these works have already been 
sold1 the greater  portion within the   
last three years4       ,to the ,work6  
,to the ,work6 ,by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody4     
,exhortations to ,christians4           
,tinted covers1 #cj;c42 cloth boards1   
gilt dies1 #fj;c4     ,just published4  
,this new work by ,mr4 ,moody is in the 
line of his most successful   efforts1  
that of stirring ,christians to active1 
personal1 aggressive   work for the     
,master4 ,mr4 ,moody has frequently been
 heard to say that   it was much better 

to set #ajj men to work than to do the  
work of #ajj   men4 ,this little volume 
will we confidently believe be a means  
of   inspiring not hundreds1 but        
thousands to more efficient effort in   
,christian life4       ,secret ,power1  
or ,the ,secret of ,success in          
,christian ,life and   ,christian ,work4
 ,by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody4 ,fifty-fifth      
,thousand4     ,this work1 so full of   
inspiration and suggestion1 has been    
reprinted   in ,england1 and has also   
been translated into ,french and        
,italian4   ,through the kindness of a  
consecrated lady1 a copy of the book has
   been presented to every ,protestant  
minister in ,italy1 while another       
friend sends the ,english edition to    
every ,presbyterian minister in         
,ireland4     ,every page is full of    
stimulating thought for ,christian      
workers4--,christian ,commonwealth4     
,it is a good statement of the secret of
 success in ,christian ,life1 by   one  
who has some claim to speak on such a   

theme4--,the ,outlook4     ,this series 
of earnest and solemn ,addresses bear   
throughout that stamp   of honest1 eager
 earnestness1 which is so striking a    
characteristic of   the writer's labors 
as a preacher4--,clerical ,world4       
,prevailing ,prayer1 ,what ,hinders it8 
,by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody4     ,cloth1 uniform
 with 8,to the ,work10 8,heaven10 c41   
#fj;c4     ,paper covers1 #cj;c4     ,an
 earnest and solemn work1 full of       
helpful hints on the aids and           
hindrances to prevailing prayer4        
8,this great subject has been the theme 
of apostles and prophets1 and   of all  
good men in all ages of the world2 and  
my desire in sending   forth this little
 volume is to encourage ,god's children 
to seek   by prayer #8to move the arm   
that moves the world4'0--,extract from  
,preface4       ,heaven2 ,where ,it ,is2
 ,its ,inhabitants1 and ,how to ,get    
,there4 ,by ,d4 ,l4   ,,moody4 #hhth    
,thousand4     ,while adapted to the    
humble capacity1 it will command the    

attention of   the mature and           
thoughtful4--,national ,presbyterian4   
,mr4 ,moody is sure of an audience1 and 
well deserves a large one for   this    
book4--,presbyterian ,witness4     ,mr4 
,moody's unfaltering faith and rugged   
enthusiasm are manifested on   every    
page4--,christian ,advocate4            
,eminently scriptural1 earnest and      
impressive1 will be welcomed by         
thousands4--,zion's ,herald4            
,characterized by his apt1 homely       
illustrations and not a few pithy       
anecdotes1 such as few can equal4--,the 
,advance4     ,a most acceptable        
monogram in its author's own short1     
pointed1   monosyllabic1 ,anglo-saxon   
style4--,herald of ,truth1 ,california4 
,abounds in apt and telling             
illustrations4--,the ,standard1         
,chicago4     ,anything from the pen of 
this renowned evangelist will be read   
with   interest4--,index1 ,atlanta1 ,ga4
     ,the clear1 ,scriptural1 common    
sense treatment of this subject by ,mr4 

,moody has been commended in the highest
 terms by leading theologians   in      
,europe and ,america1 while the common  
people have heard them   everywhere with
 gladness4--,central ,baptist4          
,twelve ,select ,sermons4 ,by ,d4 ,l4   
,,moody4 #aajth ,thousand4     ,this    
volume contains those special sermons1  
which have appeared to be   most useful1
 and under which there have been the    
greatest results4     ,carefully revised
 by ,mr4 ,moody1 they present a volume  
of choice and   striking addresses1 sure
 to command a large sale4     ,with the 
effect of these addresses when spoken1  
the whole land is   acquainted1 and now 
that they are written1 they will tend to
 keep in   force the impressions they   
have already made4--,methodist4     ,mr4
 ,moody's happy style1 abounding in     
striking anecdote and   illustration1   
make it a most readable and convincing  
volume4--,the   ,watchman4     ,full of 
earnest enthusiasm which characterizes  
everything ,mr4 ,moody   does1 and will 

be read with interest4--,detroit ,free  
,press4     ,there are few who heard any
 one of these sermons who will fail to  
be   delighted with this opportunity of 
making a calm acquaintance with it      
again4--,daily ,review4     ,this book  
is one of pre-eminent interest1 as      
containing an authorized   record of the
 teaching under which1 along with other 
means1 such great   and extensive       
religious impressions have been recently
 produced in   this country4--,the      
,messenger4     ,will be read by        
thousands with memorable                
interest4--,record4       ,the ,way to  
,god1 and ,how to ,find it4 ,fifty-fifth
 ,thousand4     ,it consists of nine    
chapters of the kind only ,d4 ,l4 ,moody
 can   write4 ,the little volume        
contains the most convincing argument   
ever   framed for the use of common     
people4 ,it is a good book to drop into 
the sachel of your boy or girl2 good to 
send to some friend at a   distance in  
whom you have an interest1 and good upon

 your own study   table4--,inter ,ocean4
     8,the ,way to ,god0 is a theme upon
 which the ,evangelist has been wont    
to dwell4 ,here in nine chapters he     
grasps together words of advice         
regarding that path which it is the     
happy privilege of the minister to      
continually make plain4--,chicago       
,standard4     ,they are characterized  
by his usual simplicity1 directness1    
fervor and   exceptional power of vivid 
illustration4--,christian ,herald4      
,they are sharply to the point1 plainly 
practical1 and orthodox in a   good1    
simple and true sense4--,christian      
,advocate4     ,it will lead sinners to 
trust in ,god1 and fire the hearts of   
layman   and minister to noble works for
 the ,master4--,baptist ,reflector4     
,it puts the way so plain that he who   
runs may read4--,religious   ,telescope4
     ,it is an excellent manual for the 
soul winners1 and for the awakened      
seeker1 and we trust will be the means  
of leading thousands to   ,christian    

hope and heaven4--,zion's ,herald4      
,very earnest and powerful1 abounding in
 apt illustrations1 striking   thoughts1
 and helpful1 encouraging words4 ,this  
book is written in the   same plain1    
simple and pointed style that lends such
 force to his   spoken words4 ,the      
volume should find many readers4 ,those 
that buy it   will not be               
disappointed4--,national ,baptist4      
,daniel1 the ,prophet4 ,an              
,amplification and ,extension of ,mr4   
,moody's   various ,lectures on the     
,life of ,daniel4     ,tinted covers1   
#bj;c42 cloth1 #dj;c4     ,a small book2
 but big as regards the truth it        
contains4 ,every worker   in the ,lord's
 vineyard would be helped by reading    
it4--,railway   ,signal4       ,the ,way
 and ,the ,word4 ,by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody4   
,forty-fifth ,thousand4     ,paper1     
#ae;c42 cloth1 #be;c4     ,this little  
work contains a very clear statement on 
the important   subject1 ,regeneration1 
to which is added ,mr4 ,moody's valuable

 hints   on ,bible ,reading4     ,mr4   
,moody has used this book by the        
thousand1 placing them in the   hands of
 young converts at the close of his     
meetings4       ,the ,second ,coming of 
,christ4 ,by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody4 ,fortieth 
,thousand4   ,tinted covers1 #aj;c4     
8,the moment a man takes hold of the    
truth that ,jesus is coming back   again
 to receive ,his followers to ,himself1 
this world loses its   hold upon him4   
,gas stocks and water stocks1 and stocks
 in banks and   railroads1 are of very  
much less consequence to him then4 ,his 
heart is   free1 and he looks for the   
blessed appearing of the ,lord1 who at  
,his   coming1 will take him into ,his  
blessed ,kingdom40--,extract4       ,how
 to ,conduct ,inquiry ,meetings4 ,by ,d4
 ,l4 ,,moody1 and ,the ,use of the      
,bible in ,inquiry ,meetings4 ,by ,d4   
,w4 ,,whittle4     #dj pages and cover4 
,price #ae;c4          ,a ,,selection   
,,from ,,the ,,catalogue    ,,of        
,,fleming ,h4 ,,revell1    ,publisher of

 ,evangelical ,literature    #adh  #aej 
,,madison ,,street1 ,,chicago4    ,the  
,following ,books sent ,post-paid on    
,receipt of ,price4      ,,helps ,,in   
,,bible ,,study4       ,notes and       
,suggestions for ,bible ,readings4      
,seventeenth thousand4   ,compiled by   
,s4 ,r4 ,,briggs and ,j4 ,h4 ,,elliott4 
,acknowledged to be the   very best help
 for ,bible readings in print4          
,containing1 in addition to   twelve    
introductory chapters on plans and      
methods of ,bible study and   ,bible    
readings1 over six hundred outlines of  
,bible readings by many of   the most   
eminent ,bible students of the day4     
,large #abmo1 #bfb pages1 with complete 
index1 cloth1 fine library style1       
#a4jj2 ,flexible cloth1 travelers'      
edition1 #ge;c2 ,cheap edition1 paper   
covers1 #ej;c4     ,this is a book which
 every ,bible student should possess4   
,those who   conduct ,bible readings    
will find it most                       
suggestive4--,christian   ,progress4    

,symbols and ,systems in ,bible         
,readings4 ,by ,rev4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,crafts4  
,giving a plan of ,bible reading1 with  
fifty verses definitely assigned   for  
each day1 the ,bible being arranged with
 much labor in the order of   its       
events4 ,the entire symbolism of the    
,bible also explained concisely   and   
clearly4 #ajj hints upon ,bible markings
 and ,bible readings are   added4     ,a
 year of work upon such a system would  
yield rich harvests of ,bible           
knowledge and spiritual experience4--,s4
 ,s4 ,world4       ,the ,true           
,tabernacle4 ,a series of lectures on   
the ,jewish ,tabernacle   and its       
typical signification4 ,by ,,george ,c4 
,,needham4 ,illustrated1   cloth1 neat1 
#ge;c4       8,c4 ,h4 ,m4's0 ,notes4 ,by
 ,c4 ,h4 ,,mcintosh4 ,genesis1 #ge;c2   
,exodus1 #ge;c2   ,leviticus1 #ge;c2    
,numbers1 #ge;c2 ,deuteronomy1 #b vols41
 each1 #ge;c4     ,the notes breathe a  
very sweet and reverential spirit1 and  
the author   shows wonderful insight    

into the heart of truths4--,evangelist4 
,mr4 ,d4 ,l4 ,moody says of these books3
 8,they have been to me a very key   to 
the ,scriptures40     ,major ,d4 ,w4    
,whittle says3 8,under ,god they have   
blessed me more than   any books1       
outside of the ,bible itself1 that ,i   
have ever read1 and   have led me to a  
love of the ,bible that is proving an   
unfailing source   of profit40          
,life and ,times of ,david1 ,king of    
,israel2 or1 ,the ,life of ,faith       
,exemplified4 ,by 8,c4 ,h4 ,m40 ,third  
edition1 revised4 #abmo1 #bjj pp4       
,cloth1 #fj;c4       ,the ,gospel       
,according to ,moses1 as seen in the    
,tabernacle and its   ,various          
,services4 ,by ,,george ,,rogers4 ,new  
edition1 enlarged #afmo1 #abd   pp4     
,paper1 #ej;c2 ,cloth1 #ge;c4     ,no   
preacher or teacher should be ignorant  
of the truth which this   small volume  
very simply but forcibly                
enunciates4--,the ,record4              
,outline of the ,books of the ,bible4   

,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,,brookes1 ,d4 ,d4    
,invaluable to the young student of the 
,bible as a 8,first ,lessons0 in   the  
study of the ,bible4 #ahj pp41 cloth1   
#ej;c2 ,paper covers1 #be;c4            
,ruth1 the ,moabitess2 or1 ,gleanings in
 the ,book of ,ruth4 ,by ,,henry        
,,moorehouse4 ,a characteristic series  
of ,bible readings1 full of             
suggestions and instruction4     ,neat  
#afmo1 paper covers1 #bj;c2 cloth1 gilt 
stamped1 #dj;c4     ,contains many fresh
 and original remarks1 all tending to   
practical usefulness2 a capital bit of  
commenting on a favorite                
book4--,spurgeon's ,sword and ,trowel4  
,bible ,readings4 ,by ,,henry           
,,moorehouse4 ,a series of eleven       
sermons of   comment and exposition1 by 
one pre-eminently the man of one        
book--an   incessant1 intense1 prayerful
 student of the ,bible4     ,neat1      
#afmo1 paper covers1 #cj;c2 cloth1 gilt 
stamped1 #fj;c4       ,current          
,discussions in ,theology4 ,by the      

,professors of ,chicago   ,theological  
,seminary4 ,vol4 ,i1 cloth1 #abmo1 #bdh 
pp41 #a4jj2 paper   covers1 #ej;c4 ,vol4
 ,,ii1 #cbh pp41 cloth1 #a4ej4          
,there is nothing in our language of    
this kind4 ,the ,american student   has 
had to choose between the exhaustive and
 unremitting labors which   are the     
price of first-hand knowledge1 and      
reviews which rarely fail   of being    
colored with partiality or prejudice4   
,the volume before us is   a helpful1   
fair and trustworthy statement of the   
present position and   recent movements 
of theology4--,the ,independent4     ,it
 may be safely said that from no one    
book in the ,english language   can     
ministers gather so much recent         
information concerning the topics       
treated4--,presbyterian ,witness4       
,the ,date of ,our ,gospels4 ,a critical
 argument and examination of            
evidences1 particularly regarding their 
authenticity and authorship4   ,by      
,,samuel ,,ives ,,curtiss1 ,d4 ,d41     

,union ,park ,theological ,seminary1    
,chicago4     ,sq4 #afmo1 neat1 flexible
 cloth1 #ej;c2 paper edition1 #be;c4    
,the argument is winnowed of superfluous
 words1 and presents a luminous   and   
brief case4--,new ,york ,independent4   
,a ,new ,catechism4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,t    
,,hyde4 ,a manual of instruction for    
students and other thoughtful inquirers4
     ,cloth1 #abmo1 #a4jj4      ,,aids  
,,in ,,christian ,,work4                
,children's ,meetings and ,how to       
,conduct ,them4 ,by ,,lucy ,j4 ,,rider  
and   ,,nellie ,m4 ,,carman4            
,introduction by ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4          
,,vincent1 ,d4 ,d4 ,contains            
contributions from over forty well-known
 workers among children1 and   gives the
 cream of their experience4 ,the outline
 lessons 7over sixty   in number71      
diagrams1 and music will especially     
commend it to the   thoughtful teacher4 
,pp4 #bjh1 cloth1 net #a4jj4     ,it is 
a good book1 that suggests something in 
addition to that which   it             

conveys4--,journal and ,messenger4      
,the volume will be heartily welcomed by
 many having this most   important part 
of the religious instruction of the     
young in   hand4--,zion's ,herald4      
,secret ,power2 or1 the ,secret of      
,success in ,christian ,life and        
,christian ,work4 ,by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody4  
,fifty-fifth thousand4 #abmo volume1    
#aaf pp41 rich gilt and black stamp1    
cloth1 #fj;c2 cheap edition1 paper      
cover1 #cj;c4     ,every page is full of
 stimulating thought for ,christian     
workers4--,christian ,commonwealth4     
,the ,work of ,preaching ,christ4 ,by   
,bishop ,,charles ,,pettitt ,,mcilvaine4
 ,a   revised edition of an important   
little work4 ,paper covers1 #ae;c4      
,the ,prayer ,meeting and ,its          
,improvement4 ,by ,rev4 ,,lewis ,o4     
,,thompson1   with introduction by ,rev4
 ,a4 ,e4 ,,kittredge1 ,d4 ,d4 ,sixth    
edition4   ,revised4 ,an attractive     
volume4 #abmo1 pp4 #bef1 #a4be4     ,a  
valuable1 because a very suggestive     

book4--,s4 ,s4 ,times4     99 99 99     
8,this is so good a book that we wish we
 could afford to give a   copy of it to 
every young minister4 ,revive your      
prayer meetings and   the churches will 
be revived4 ,mr4 ,thompson says some    
capital things in   a telling manner1   
and1 as his pages are full of fire and  
gunpowder1   we hope certain old1       
worn-out things among us will be        
exploded1 and   good things set on fire4
 ,a brother who has this book handy will
 be   helped to lead lively meetings1   
conducting them in varied ways1 and     
expatiating on different topics1 so as  
to keep up freshness1 and avoid         
monotony and dullness40--,c4 ,h4        
,spurgeon4       ,revivals2 ,their      
,place and ,power4 ,by ,rev4 ,,herrick  
,,johnson1 ,d4 ,d4   ,cloth1 flexible1  
#be;c4     ,an admirable discussion of  
the subject4--,interior4     ,we know of
 no publication that covers the ground  
so briefly and                          
satisfactorily4--,baltimore             

,presbyterian4     ,dr4 ,johnson's      
experience has qualified him to speak   
upon this   subject4--,independent4     
,to the ,work6 ,to the ,work6 ,by ,d4   
,l4 ,,moody4 ,exhortations to           
,christians4 ,paper covers1 #cj;c2      
,cloth boards1 gilt dies1 #fj;c4 ,just  
published4     ,this new work by ,mr4   
,moody1 is in the line of his most      
successful   efforts1 that of stirring  
,christians to active1 personal1        
aggressive   work for the ,master4 ,mr4 
,moody has frequently been heard to say 
that   it was much better to set #ajj   
men to work than to do the work of #ajj 
men4 ,this little volume will1 we       
confidently believe1 be a means of      
inspiring not hundreds but thousands to 
more efficient effort in   ,christian   
life4      ,,pre-,,millennial           
,,literature4       ,pre-,millennial    
,essays4 ,a series of papers on         
prophetical subjects by   eminent       
writers4 ,edited by ,,nathaniel ,,west1 
,d4 ,d4 ,issued in one large   #abmo    

volume of #ejj pages1 #a4ej4     ,those 
who desire to have1 within the compass  
of a single volume1 all   that is       
necessary to an intelligent             
consideration of the subject1 will      
find it here in a very readable form4   
,it is certainly the ablest work   that 
has appeared on the pre-millennial      
side4--,canada ,presbyterian4     ,the  
best treatment of this subject from the 
pre-millennial side that   has ever been
 published4--,the ,standard4     ,it is 
pious1 elaborate and fraternal4 ,we are 
pleased with the   forcible1 yet candid 
style of argumentation4--,zion's        
,herald4       ,maranatha2 or1 the ,lord
 ,cometh4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,,brookes1  
,d4 ,d4 ,pp4   #dde1 cloth1 #a4be2      
paper1 #ej;c4       ,present ,truth2    
being the ,testimony of the ,holy ,ghost
 on the ,second   ,coming of the ,lord1 
the ,divinity of ,christ1 and the       
,personality of the   ,holy ,ghost4 ,by 
,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,,brookes1 ,d4 ,d4 #bej   
pp41 fine cloth1 #ge;c4   ,cheap        

edition1 paper cover1 #be;c4            
,second ,coming of ,christ4 ,by ,rev4   
,j4 ,h4 ,,brookes1 ,d4 ,d4 ,price1      
#ae;c4       ,the ,blessed ,hope2 or1   
,the ,glorious ,coming of the ,lord4 ,by
 ,,willis   ,,lord1 ,d4 ,d4 ,new and    
cheaper edition4 ,a practical treatise2 
a volume   well adapted to lead to a    
more joyous ,christian life4 #bej pp41  
cloth1   #a4jj4 ,cheap edition1 for     
circulation1 paper covers only1 #be;c4  
,second ,coming of ,christ4 ,by ,,george
 ,,muller1 of ,bristol1 ,eng4 ,a neat   
little tract of #cb pages1 suitable for 
circulation4 ,per dozen1 #dj;c2   #ajj  
copies1 #b4ej4       ,jesus ,is ,coming4
 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,b4 ,a most popular hand   
book4 ,sixteenth   thousand4 ,giving    
seven arguments in favor of the         
pre-millennial   coming--stating the    
distinction between the ,rapture and the
   ,revelation1 and between the ,church 
and the ,kingdom--and containing a      
diagram1 with explanations4 ,new1       
enlarged edition1 #afj pp41 cloth1      

#ej;c2 paper covers1 #ae;c4             
,twenty ,reasons for ,believing that the
 ,second ,coming of the ,lord is        
,near4 #cd pages and cover1 neat1 #ae;c4
 ,per dozen1 #a4jj4       ,epiphainia4  
,a study in ,prophecy4 ,by ,e4 ,j4      
,,edgren1 ,professor of   ,biblical     
,interpretation in the ,morgan ,park    
,theological ,seminary4 #afmo1   #aab   
pp41 cloth1 neat1 #ge;c4     ,dr4       
,edgren writes as one who both loves and
 reveres the ,sacred ,word4   ,he has   
altogether made a book creditable in a  
literary not less than   in an          
evangelical point of view4--,chicago    
,standard4       ,waiting for the       
,morning1 and ,other ,poems4 ,by the    
author of 8,twenty   ,reasons for       
,believing the ,coming of the ,lord is  
,near40 ,sq4 #afmo1 pp4   #ed1 red line1
 cloth1 elegant1 #ej;c4 ,cheap edition1 
paper covers1 neat1   #be;c4       ,the 
,second ,coming of ,christ4 ,by ,d4 ,l4 
,,moody4 ,revised4 ,forty-second        
thousand4 #cb pp4 and cover1 #aj;c4 ,per

 dozen1 #a4jj4      ,,helps ,,for       
,,inquirers4       ,grace and ,truth    
,under ,twelve ,different ,aspects4 ,by 
,w4 ,p4 ,,mackay1 ,m4   ,a4             
,forty-eighth thousand of ,american     
edition4 ,the ,english edition   has    
reached a sale of over two hundred      
thousand1 besides being   translated    
into ,german1 ,spanish1 ,swedish1       
,arabic1 ,italian1 ,dutch1   ,gaelic and
 ,welsh4 #abmo1 pp4 #bhb1 paper1 #ce;c2 
cloth1 fine1 #ge;c4     ,mr4 ,moody says
 of this work3 8,i know of no book in   
print better   adapted to aid in the    
work of him who would be a winner of    
souls1 or   to place in the hands of the
 unconverted40       ,my ,inquiry       
,meeting2 or ,plain ,truths for ,anxious
 ,souls4 ,by ,,robert   ,,boyd1 ,d4 ,d4 
,being the experience of a pastor during
 many years of   personal dealing with  
anxious and careless souls4 ,pp4 #fd1   
#ae;c4     ,for simplicity1 clearness1  
and force of statement we have met with 
nothing that equals this little volume4 

,we can think of no better   service a  
pastor could render to ,sunday-school   
teachers1 and other   guides of souls1  
than to secure their reading of these   
pages4 ,nor   could inquirers have any  
better help in their search for         
truth4--,the   ,interior4       ,glad   
,tidings4 ,by ,,robert ,,boyd1 ,d4 ,d4  
,a book for inquirers4 #abmo1 pp4       
#ajj1 cloth1 neat1 #ej;c4 ,cheap        
edition1 for circulation1 #be;c4        
,this book has been used largely in     
connection with the great revival       
meetings both in ,great ,britain and    
this land4       ,the ,soul and ,its    
,difficulties4 ,by ,h4 ,w4 ,,soltau4    
,paper1 pp4 #ajh1 #h;c4       ,how to   
,be ,saved2 or1 the ,sinner ,directed to
 the ,saviour4 ,by ,j4 ,h4   ,,brookes1 
,d4 ,d4 ,pp4 #abj1 paper cover1 #be;c2  
cloth1 #ej;c4       ,the ,way to ,god   
and ,how to ,find ,it4 ,by ,d4 ,l4      
,,moody4 ,fifty-fifth   thousand4 ,a    
book for the inquirer and ,christian    
worker4 ,cloth1 rich   black and gold   

stamp1 #fj;c2 paper1 tinted covers1     
#cj;c4     ,the way of salvation is made
 as clear as simple language and        
forcible1   pertinent illustration can  
make it4 ,in two features it is equal to
   anything that ,mr4 ,moody has        
produced--in close adherence to the     
,word   of ,god1 and in profound        
earnestness--while in simplicity1       
directness   of appeal and originality  
it is superior4 ,it is a great matter to
   send such a work1 so full of ,christ1
 all over the churches1 where   it may1 
by the work of the ,spirit1 arrest the  
careless and move the                   
ungodly4--,lutheran ,observer4          
,god's ,way of ,salvation4 ,by          
,,alexander ,,marshall4 ,a brief        
statement of   the ,way of ,life1 with  
answers to popular objections4 ,each    
brief page   complete in itself1 and    
containing a sermon in a nutshell4 #dh  
pages   and covers1 #e;c4 ,per hundred4 
#b4ej4       ,doubts ,removed4 ,by      
,c,,sar ,,malan1 ,d4 ,d4 ,paper covers1 

#e;c2 per dozen1   #ej;c4     8,it      
contains the clearest statements and    
illustrations on the subject   treated  
we have ever read40       ,welcome to   
,jesus4 ,by ,rev4 ,c4 ,h4 ,,spurgeon4 ,a
 series of #d page   tracts1 with first 
page in attractive1 illuminated designs1
 etc4 ,four   different series1 each    
containing #cb assortments4 ,price1 per 
package1   #be;c4      ,,popular        
,,devotional ,,books4       ,prevailing 
,prayer3 ,what ,hinders ,it8 ,by ,d4 ,l4
 ,,moody4 ,cloth1 uniform   with ,to the
 ,work6 ,heaven1 etc41 #fj;c2 paper     
covers1 #cj;c4     ,an earnest and      
solemn work1 full of helpful hints on   
the aids and   hindrances to prevailing 
prayer4     8,this great subject has    
been the theme of apostles and prophets1
 and   of all good men in all ages of   
the world2 and my desire in sending     
forth this little volume is to encourage
 ,god's children to seek   by prayer    
#8to move the arm that moves the        
world4'0--,extract from   ,preface4     

,the ,christian's ,secret of a ,happy   
,life4 ,by ,,hannah ,,whitall ,,smith2  
author of 8,a ,happy ,life40 ,revised   
edition1 from entirely new plates4      
#abmo1 #bdj pp41 cloth1 black and gold  
stamp1 #a4jj2 paper cover1 #ej;c4     ,a
 book we unhesitatingly recommend4 ,we  
have not for years read a book   with   
more delight and profit4--,southwestern 
,christian ,advocate4     ,we are       
delighted with the book4 ,it reaches the
 very core of ,christian                
experience4--,baptist ,weekly4          
,worthy of universal                    
circulation4--,christian ,union4        
,life ,warfare and ,victory4 ,by ,maj4  
,d4 ,w4 ,,whittle4 ,cloth1 neat1 #abd   
pp41 #fj;c2 paper1 #cj;c4     ,this book
 has been prepared in the midst of      
evangelistic work1 to   meet the wish   
often expressed to the writer--that     
instruction given   in ,bible readings  
to young converts might be made         
available for their   more careful study
 and permanent use4--,extract from      

,preface4       ,christ and the         
,scriptures4 ,by ,rev4 ,,adolph         
,,saphir4 ,cloth1 #afmo1 neat1   #ge;c4 
,to all disciples of ,jesus this work   
commends itself at once by its   grasp  
of truth1 its insight1 the life in it1  
and its spiritual   force4--,christian  
,work4     8,in these days of doubt and 
hypercriticism such a volume1 breathing 
a   spirit of earnest devotion1 lifting 
the mind to a better conception of   the
 immeasureable worth of the ,person and 
the ,word1 and written1 too1   by a son 
of ,israel1 cannot but be welcome and   
helpful40       ,the ,holy ,life4 ,a    
book for ,christians seeking the 8,rest 
of ,faith40   ,by ,rev4 ,,evan ,h4      
,,hopkins4 ,fifth thousand1 #ahmo1 #aae 
pages1 cloth1   beveled edge1 #fj;c4    
,walking ,worthy of ,god4 ,a reprint    
from the works of ,rev4 ,,john          
,,flavell1 with an introduction by 7and 
published at the request of7   ,maj4 ,d4
 ,w4 ,whittle4 ,a valuable book for     
circulation--an incentive to            

,christian living4     ,sq4 #afmo1 pp4  
#dc1 #ae;c4       ,gems from            
,northfield4 ,a ,record of the ,best    
,thoughts exchanged at the   ,conference
 for ,bible ,study1 convened at         
,northfield1 by ,d4 ,l4 ,,moody4        
#abmo1 pp4 #aaf4 ,price #a4jj4     ,the 
thoughts and expositions of ,scripture  
which are presented in this   volume are
 of rare practical value4--,herald and  
,presbyter4       ,my ,morning ,word4 ,a
 book of texts for every day in the     
year4     ,cloth1 plain1 #ge;c2 ,cloth1 
gilt edges1 #a4jj2 ,calf1 flexible1     
gilt1   #a4ge4     ,the several texts   
for every day each contain the 8,morning
 ,word10 this   single word being the   
key-word by means of which the texts are
 called   to mind4       ,birth-,day    
,memorial ,text-,book4     ,a handsome  
little volume with a short text for     
every day in the year1   with blank     
space opposite for autographs4          
,especially attractive for   children4  
#cbmo1 cloth1 black and gold stamp1     

#be;c2 per dozen1 #b4ej4       ,the     
,practice of the ,presence of ,god4 ,by 
8,brother ,,lawrence40     ,being a     
small collection of remarkable letters  
and 8conversations0 of   a monk4        
,pp4 #fd1 #bdmo1 paper cover1 #aj;c2 per
 dozen1 #ge;c4       ,grace ,sufficient4
 ,by ,rev4 ,,henry ,,roissy4 ,an        
extremely helpful work   for the closet1
 with counsel and comfort for the ,way  
of ,life4 ,pp4 #bfe1   cloth1 #a4be4    
,clifton ,springs ,bible ,readings4     
,containing the ,bible ,readings and    
,addresses given at the ,conference of  
,believers at ,clifton ,springs1   ,n4  
,y41 by ,messrs4 ,brookes1 ,erdman1     
,whittle1 ,needham1 ,parsons1 ,clark1   
,marvin and others4     ,sq4 #afmo1 #add
 pp41 cloth1 fine1 #ej;c2 paper covers1 
#be;c4       ,the ,scarlet ,line4 ,a    
most suggestive tract upon ,joshua ,,ii 
and ,,vi1   showing the close connection
 between the type of the ,old ,testament
 and   the ,antitype of the ,new4       
#cf pages and cover1 #e;c2 per hundred1 

#c4jj4       ,envelope ,series of       
,tracts4 ,by ,h4 ,w4 ,s41 from 8,the    
,christian's ,secret   of a ,happy      
,life10 comprising the following3       
,how to ,enter into the ,life4          
,difficulties ,concerning ,consecration4
    ,difficulties ,concerning ,guidance4
    ,difficulties ,concerning ,faith4   
,faith3 ,what it is4    ,is ,god in     
,everything8    ,the ,joy of ,obedience4
    ,practical ,results4     ,sold only 
in packets of one dozen copies4 ,may be 
had either assorted   or all of the same
 kind4 ,price1 per packet1 #bj;c4       
8,they will form an excellent collection
 of tracts for distribution   by those  
who wish their friends to share the     
#8,life that is hid with   ,christ4'0   
,words of ,worth1 from the ,chicago     
,christian ,convention4 ,a verbatim     
report of the addresses before the      
,convention of ,october1 #ahhb4         
#abmo1 pp4 #acd1 paper1 #be;c4     ,the 
addresses by such men as ,rev4 ,marcus  
,rainsford1 ,rev4 ,chas4   ,spurgeon1   

,dr4 ,w4 ,p4 ,mackay1 ,rev4 ,a4 ,t4     
,pierson1 ,d4 ,d41 and others1   will be
 welcomed by many4      ,,chicago3 ,f4  
,h4 ,,revell1 #adh  #aej ,,madison ,,st4
          ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3     
,italicized text is surrounded by       
underscores3 italics4      ,emboldened  
text is surrounded by equals signs3     
bold4      ,obvious typographical errors
 have been corrected4