The Lutheran visitor. (Columbia, S.C.) 1869-1904, January 16, 1874, Image 1
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Rode 4 HUler, Editors.
• 4
SERIES, VOL. 6—NO. 17.
CHE LORD, ORE FAITH, OIEiBAPTISSf-EPHESIASTS 17:5.
-«■»—»... .^^^Mmgrmcrv^saMMjteJb JCSj:l£L
COLUMBIA, &. 0., FRIRAfr, JANUARY 16, 1874.
Terms: $2.00 * Tear.
OLD SERIES, VOL 6-NO. 277.
[P w -r pur the Lutheran Visitor.
Xodi of Baptism.
4 established the fact tlmt
—* always mean to sob*
•ext inquire the true
'haptizo, one of tbederiva
And here it may be
Mbit by the laws of etyrnol-
lese some of the force
Thus, pipto } to
Jl» derivative, jriote, means
partly fall. The Word
that If Aequo
flanges bedew,
[Hied,
r eam from the market,
l ft*; wash, (baptioontai,) they
Jt emaiaiy was the m»a
nJews to wash their hands
memfcf? ba*what author ever
they entirely 1m
ii in water f Yet
f water to a very
the body is failed
hi the
aid, “And many
fej For want of time, we will {xtas
over several interesting {>•««.**-* of
deriptur© bearing upon the subject
ia hand, (each as Reb. vi j 2; Labe
t\: John H: «,) and turn next
to I Cor. * s 1, t, where we heva an
allaeion to the baptism of the lsnw>l
“*• in the sea, in this language j to ‘dogma r* said a plate
U AY1 our fathers were nailer the orofrri member mi
cloud, and all penned through the sea. to the writer
and were all to^llhmi rtiptfiiinfe A
unto Moses fa the eload and la the and then the
Selections.
Whtt k Ik* Etna k Saga*’
»t unr. jobs «am iu>.
U W»I you please tell am, atr, what
Ml. *
We go farther
it weald he «l
eirea fm the
.tool to
ear «d
to the gus4 sssmm
little hey Is tshi
thing af whtrh hla |art,
doahtfhl. II#
la
Hew te Begin the If ear Y«sj\ than others in the name number of
day a—ami mar, with David, “My
IM aa begin the year with sotema | voire ahalt Thou hear in the mom.
fi.nu irfiortion. mil say, with Job, “When fng, O fx»nl ; in the morning will I
" • IM* ri j * years are came, 1 shall go the direct my prayer mi to thee, and will
way wbrace I shall eat retero.” Let! look up."
Aar some as not eel j believe this, but think of
et Uaat, is ! it, and feel the importance af the 1
The question here ia,
were the Israelites haptiaed m
Row
“But arhy
dogma T
«W<
are
yea
not Christian baptism r* which the
apostle tdi speaks; but he never
thetcea calls the application of water
to the Israelites am this utmuhia s
mm*, front the similarity with
which water, fa hath cases, was
npplM But they wire Hot topped
Id wamb; for Xeaea tiproealy says
(Bt. *r.f ti):
Israel went into the mkfc* af the see
opmi dry ground."' Row, then, could
they have been imnwemAT* Bat the
watem Wowing to the ties, aed there
being checked by CWjMor* ffc*
rftiog upward, (for they -were a wbflt
uufw them ee their right hand sod
M,
it
«io.it
be some aew error that
sp, libs the
Maybe, the KltaoitoCa."
I Theqeertst set m* to thinking, aa*l. * r, .vthing
ia my fwrn. re put queetUee I aak
ed ewe person ehat he eaderstoo*! by
emf he told am, -the la
er the Pops * | Mild
M he toM me he aaJfew I Mil duty ;
, I.TT, • **M> ebtkl,
child, a -
had s flair
> HiteMug the
• x pm>
ha was s -smart*
W.
Re
f «C I«
ord eg God
AMR § I
if We
1
-RMihria nro■ ,
J, r
* *« Rm
f* *
ehildeea, e
Area tU
Oops sad
might indeed
mwater; yet ef this
Bbt te
ft is there*
y of the puriff-
in the Hew
t! . , . _ , - - - m Weing the
ehAMiJ ,r ftiA leers, m ritibbrotflig veheseeaee and frequency with whieA
GodH» prater, ia relation h this par I peer Dogma la islilr>t is so many
tfcularevent, the Psalmfsc (Itriffl IT) 1 quarters. It occuriwd to me that a
says: “TheHoods poured ant water, little rrplaoate«i might suites the
the Mire amt out a sound * And |*rejorf»ro, or st least oblige Is.guts's
this sprinkling or pouring W the
First of all, ae to what to
let ns hear the greet Webster, ter
en.
dr washing with the
|l«Al«s 1a the eaee of the couches,)
eriug, whilst it is not cer-
tkey were performed by
a single instance,
were so large
persons at the
Bum their size to
Is that to suppose that they
|ws kpttoed—wished; not by im
water, but by behig truth
the baud, or to
any real or fancied impurity,
be meaning of baptizo will be
illustrated by reference to
t 25, ^0: “Then there arose
between some of John’s
isud the Jsws about pnrifp-
Afrl they came unto John, and
lishbi, he that was with thee
1 Jordan, to u bom thou bear-
fitness, behold the some bep-
aod ail men come to hiuK’’
iwbpctof dispute was a Jewish
ealleii purification. But
I tells m concerning the Levitt-
■MUtulions, that they “sdoed
1 ® wests and drinks, and divers
®|» ” —• dimphoroit baptitmoia,
ID,) different baptism*.
! different baptisms were differ-
•dm of ablution, such as pour-
■Priakling, bathing, etc., and
the rest sprinkling was the
frequent and promiQeut. At
IM file all legal purifications, the
Moses decides the manner of
them. Hence, in I^ev.
r s?, We find this direction : “And
l^eaUqtt'taJrfo upon him that ia to
from the leprosy seven
•hall pronounce him clean,
I . ^ 1st the living Wrd loose
huf* Num. viii: 7 :
L . ^ "halt thou do unto them
• them : Sprinkle water of
ttpon them, and let them
iff tbeir flesh, and let them
their clothes, and so make
l 7*^* deau.” And in allusion
U e ***blishsd and well under
water, me it fell on them, to thorough
ly resemble*! the pouring or sprtn
kliug of water on the heod sf the
candidate foe baptism, that Paul
bositated not to raff it baptism
It may be remarked that there
was also on the same ore—too a gen
uiue case of Immersion The Kgy pt-
iau army was rompletely submerge*!
lOgd
pirns them with
Yea
my
te toll year
it oad tessem-
the truth and
If we deport
III dhidL
My!
i m a
F*—it would
H*s »1 a parent
potato by
I j_ >r m ^ I • t j L
to the
•ay.,
Blhle soys thts,* the !
sSt,
Mr naA he now
of the evi \
get ake|
Ha fuud, “moo are
treat them as
toor dog
U are not
In the nnrue
thrrn ft* dbtl»
to hAm. and
of uhnrh the
Yea, ia a little time I
shall bo ae move area. How—where
•hall I he disposed off The seasons
will return so before ; bat the places
that now know ms will know me no
amee forever WW tbU be a curse
or o blessing f If I die hi my sJns,
I shun return ae more to my pusses
etoas oad oujoymoata, to the can of
amrey, to the throae of grace, to the
home af protect If 1 dir ia the
Lord, t shall. O blamed impoemhib
tyt return no more to Rmo* thorns
aad briers, to this rate mad wicked
world, to this setting head, to this
throbbing heart, to these tempt a
tteaa aad t mu bleu, ami sorrow* sod
And if this be your determination,
the season will be the date of your
happiness God himself says, “From
this day will I Ideas you.*— William
Jap.
Secret Prayer
When two or three
la one place
to
gathered
seek the
profit iu praying to au Almighty
who is not his Father. Oh, no; it »*
only children who come to a fsthci
in secret The unsaved may prav
in a certain way in public; but they
will not come face to face with Goil
iu secret. Take some prayers and
try. Were we to pray that prayer
iu public, “Rxamioe me,” we must
change the word me to at, aad pray,
“Examine as, O Lard; prove as j try
our hearts aod reins.” And unsaved
men might lose themselves In the
crowd, and joinria the prayer; but
the unsaved man will not go aloue,
end, foe* to fhee with an all-seeiug
liiwd, the prayer is social: when one ! God, aay to him, “Examine me, and
aew year with
asy, with the
remember my
l*r*>t*c to
Nay, I
wa th«*
is, **Th»s amtfc iho Lord.’
et the Hildaitarli jwocwmls
of a dogma which
l^t us begin the
self inspect loo, sod
chief luttlsf, “I dc
tool Is this day* We 'are
think of the fsiliogs of our fellow I
curat ore*, aod ofleu imagine because
•• mu free fr««w» their faults, that wo
are faultless, list we may have oth
er faults $ w* may have worse, and
while a tools is ia oar brother’s eye,
• brum way be in our own. !*et nt
be open to eouvicfiMU. I^et us ileal
f^ithfufl* with «Mtr own hearts. Let
as nut compare nurarlve* with oth
or*, aod esperislly the mure vile of
peruoo goes akme to speak with God,
the prayer is secret. A woman re
turning from a meeting won asked if
aha hud hud u good meeting. Her
reply to. “Mover a hotter* Bbe
was onkod who were proamt, and
her ana war was, “God and I.” So-
rial prayer was expected, hut for
want of numbers it was secret prayer.
4t is to osrret prayer the Laid refers
uhen be nays (Matt. vi. :«,) “Thou,
she# thorn prayest, enter into fAy
Huset, and abut tAjr door,* etc. But
one way aay, -I have no closet to
pray ia.” Well, thank God that you
are like the Mattel, and you can,
like Him. make one. You cun bare
a closet tu a crowd ; you can with
draw from all, and sbnt vonr door
world ward, aud qmi it heavenward,
ami pn»y to your Father. It is
worthy of u*»riee that our liord pray
ed alone while oilier* were with him
(Luke ix: If). He was praying
alone, and yet his disciples with him.
Ho we can he as much alone in a
Hi
must huv# u kted of grout ,J h*tem, or deffnitro*. with.
. O.M -Web.),, •***«""* «« "«»• Ik*
lie dadoes “dUMAuP I
to he
the Itegms <hut
hr «to cue a* tea
mw vary tend of them, aod auuuJty
introduce them freely to their kuok
*wk of baptizing, or sprin-
^ order to cleanse or pun-
/Mted Isaiah, in his remarkable
?i*ion of
if <Iia * m
Vr J* ■prinkie
I** «tokiel,
the atonement of
15,) saying: “So
many nations.”
too, when he <le-
«-*"•*> purification of the
j * God, says (xxxvi: 23):
1*^ 1 •prinkie clean water
rk^ B ’ ^ ^ clean ;
l o, t J i . y ° or fl, Ihinc«s and from all
lii*?* ^ cleanse fou” Somo-
l l *lilA *** 08e< * for cl e ans »»‘g (I>cv.
1^ ^ toonetimes blood (Lev. v: 9;
is* ! an<1 sometimes
vhi: 7); -but the per-
l^hs *”* ^coto to be cleansed or
* ere not dipped in oil or
8ince >t was always
that the oil, Wood
to be sprinkled. These
evidence in favor of
* 8 D °t the most
% J]* lon to it; Imt the weight
Pit /""to®*, whatever it may be,
,J: r of sifosion, pouring or
ly, that lAerv is u tSad Every one firitow crealuros; Imt with n ir
kuous how grandly the itqiimi «tt Udvautagws, wlib our knowledge,
JJJtops^ iArih»^ l *> , hb«it ^ {MMtnUte. n ut, o, Jt icdntMHW*, »ith the U* «rf j crowded city as on a lonely moan-
“In tbs (iwi | * 1 tain. Tbeue twvyeiw Satan can not
sod the earth * , j lift us begin the year with a da 4 hinder; by them he is often con
Wuausut u tea* tulwou how any term mat K*i to abandon a hairier founded, aod with them he is a!
in three *«y *. It m(I) “tha* whmh real iHlgteuo teuehtei eaa br gitra apfwuro aiufril. and say, with EHhtt, ways perplexed; sad, like many
ia habl e« •> apummm* %%a«lo out uittomt dogmji It is tra*. men like -«|f I bare door mtqaity, I will does stleut things, they have great power.
that 5ke m Should the util cmrse, A doty arising out of the relation
, HirtMins 111 cam hufrumrd* while I ,,N *• (lp * l* klM tou solicit, let it plrofll iu which the creature stands to God.
MAtafA Ilf III MMl and covered ; bav# npntxs* euough o4 thnr own, \ niy rttnirnF is ivjected ; >n '•*• while the Haviour Judge says, Every man li%"es and more* in God,
of Pharaoh- “there re are very fowl of them, aad usually and to aaery to find rhAsttou prrorli i “If thy right eye oflfcml tbvc, pluck and so every man is bound to pray;
M oiie of them:* < iutruduew them Irreli to their frwod*. aras(q4ft«r«!':y f* c«Jm htoohi mull J out, aod yui it IptMu the* fig U r fyi Ptm«r n* the utteranc*- of a
_ . "J'V to |*r*mi»ble fbr thee that one dT t%r ^Hroduro ownrog hia iih*t»eUdeoro on
baptised | tenet, a formally stated aud uulhurt - ^ K *
Here wo havu several coses iu I luiirHy «etrled doetrluu. This *w | eraowt taptstur be d«r*ft« tbelw rip
which neit her bmpHm nor its eoguates j pvohuldy ibe otfentove Ihigma, ibe lures aad fhristianHjr. A mao puts
the quest too, “What most I do to be _jp| PHHHPj] - -
elemom* * •balU bol h!m rutefr^qho j prr *"“* dsdkulteu, sud say, with j it a* s duty: “Tbou. when thou prav
Igpim sad uwwol riemeur ,4 chrts Itevld, “Lard. I am lldoe. save me * eat, eme r nto thy Houet, and pray
•ipteur) .Inrtrioe -hat to asserted or IUim> , t* m ,« no( fWs *af,
taught wictomt *utficie«t evideuou.*f ami ** ic*|mrtf«lly Hibuiu it i* >»>(
Wc are ail imammoua sgandh that. c*s»m«st «m*r Mim*kters *re often
It may lie aa*omed, then, that it ia * pefauua la aee*| of
the “forwialh M*tC4l ■■ibnrlf M«viro, diTOUStoo, OUd kelp sUKit e«n
ivelwITtled ?*“*?*? HtemM we as* to them,
lively settled , lor trine that offeml* ,4a. w ;* “Find * •ale
educated persona, who know «h *t pusitMoi. stlh j it.gr*«si>« salary,
they arc talking about. Now, whst •hne you esn make the must «f
| y ***trse|f r* “Go W nl f tow much
g.ftMl *booid «• tbrm f I low
, , . . . much bn ter l*« t In spplu-sin!* if we
reject til ami dcnooociMl with s tcwl riMl ^
elements of «*ffrmewf a»d nmtkoritp
being roputtore to many IIis third
deffotthm to not very
to prim.
implies submersion Our ease is
then fairly made out, that to Imptue
does not uniformly nor oeeessardv
signify submersion; but fre*|umtl»
its utmost demands are sprinkling,
pouring, ete.
(4) It ia a remarkable fact that,
not withstanding the copiousne** of
the Greek language, whenever Imp
tism is spoken of by the New Testa
■»ent writers, the same word* are
invariably used to express If. This
certainly does not arise from any
poverty in the Greek language, since
there are several terms (as kmtmbap proportioned la its importanoo; but |d«m. such
fteo, emftqpMto, emhopfs, and othsaaj if it km true estshltehsil. tbai to, au •♦** *
member* shoot*) jwrtoh, and n**t that the f res tor. But when we enter the
thy wtode tmdy «houtM tie cost into family of God try faith In Christ
hell* ijestts. prayer is the breath of the
Begin the year with pious aud new man; aod hence Christ enjoins
to the harm of this t If a
to later, thru it te au error, and te ha
We can Dot
our gloomy
dogmas to every tyro la ariihaeette.
It to suflh'teut (tor all |*arpoa«« to
that express satire im mention. Ysf[ proper e rule nee—-to it mi object
amidst this [trofusion of words to to it that It is formally stated or au
sspresM immersion nneqnlrocally. the thorllativHy settled f It would ha
writers of the New Testament reject “mighty inconvenient" to Ware m
tlifm all when speaking of baptism, j dogma—that to, nothing stated and
and confine themselves to bapiiso 1 settled—in other (Iwportmenta of
and baptieme. And when opeaking ' thought. There sro it least owe
of tha ovdiiiMca of baptism, they do | ,| 0 gma* iu tin* multijdka
not call it immersion, or sprinkling,« .. *^ t
or pouring upon—but emphatically tmm * ** ® 00 * Bt roJ fMiffwt IB
baptism. F j schools , that 3* Am23 to aa formal
(To be continued.) *>' HSto) and sutlnwitalhely settled
. . aa anything nan he j ami It would rw-
The Nssdsd Comforter tard education very much If ersry
~T~ m . . teacher bs*l to prove eweb of t|
HjjA»jjAg»e step in
p»th without tiiidmg
some trace of Him, the Comforter
s-c need ! For be is an sfMicte*! Man.
the moat afflicted of all the human
race, a Mart of sorrow*. If ho winhci*
to sympathize, be has only to roeail
the past We can not light upon an
affliction through which be has not
passed before ns; from that which
affects oor bodies to that whmh with
ers our tools.
O ye who lie ou beds of *ickue*«,
tortured with cruel jwuo, be know*
the nature of the physical suffering
which rests on your inner life thn/
the delicate chords connecting soul
•od body t
O ye who eat the bread of charity,
and are distressed by ail the cares of
penary, he kuows what poverty is !
O ye who have been overwhelmed
with reproach, cslnmny, insult and
mockery, he knows what ignominy
ia; b« knows it as yon can never
know it!
O ye who bend and shudder over
the open tomb, he knows what aor
row is, and his hot tears toil into the
tomb where bis friend was laid !
O ye who mourn not oulv for a
friend, but also for a friendship ; ye
from whom life, and not death has
taken a heart on which you leaned ;
ye who have been forsaken ; ye who
have aeeu your brother’s baud raised
against you, be knows what abac
don incut and betrayal are; he knows
those things ns yon can never know
them, he who was sacrificed by a
people whom be bad loaded with his
benefits, forsaken by. hia disciples,
desired by one aj>oatle and sold by
another ? I defy you to point out a
suffering which he baa not known
aud
•»), , ,
s« %«>o ; here is • toilet to
This IIS itofiftttr. sonsthto, |*T*r
Heal. It in like the dogun of the
New Testament, in «br department
of reltguso, wbeev the Iioriao s>xil,
if. lib# young Joseph in the
to directed to the Brother. «b«*
is tdso Honour, • Itolievs in Ibe l4*rd
Jess* Uhriak” Hero is s*iurikmg
tnrtnslly stated, and anthiottsltvely
art t toil
Authority. «nde«*(, to repulsive to
many who like to soy. “Our tongues
•re oar own." But of the fl\e plsceo
tr* « Uh h “dogiM** is uss-*l to the New
Testoment, three, «t least im|dt an
IhOfHjr, like *ube decree (doguis,i
from rswmr." in Lukoil: 1, or-the
decree*** <dogma f «»f the Hynml St
Jerusotooi (Arts xvi : Aj And that
this i«too of sothontjswa* sot rvjml
“* . . .. V"’. "’.r’ r~' W j riw t« thv pnmiltvr church amieors
point foth. k«*. «)U»at*m krm«. ^ ttat Ulat .^^,,.1'
mjuivatoal to ‘the faith,* and -
Thi«*ugh Him. who to the way, yield
.yonrwel* es unto God. It is your tvs
•ouabte amice. II© ha* hiAoiiv
claims to you. Yon will never he
traty yoar ow# till you are Hi*.
Begin the year with relative re
ligiao ; and if the worship ©f God has
never hewn established in your fhml-
!y, now commence it—and say, with
Joshua. “As for me and my house,
we will serve the l^wnd." A family
without prayer to like a house with
out a roof It is uncovered and ex
posed ; ami we know who has threat
eucd to “j*our out his flary upon the
families that roll not upon his name>
Begin the year with a fresh con
eern te lie useful—and auk, with
Haul of Tarmns, “Lord, what wrilt
Thou have me to do V Let me look
at my condition, my resources, my
opportunities. Ilow eon 1 glorify
G«*d, sud promote the welfare of my
fellowr creatures t Is there not a
Bible to spread t Am!
missionnrics to snpj»ort t
to thy Father,* etc. You will* sc©
that now it is a child dealing with
a Father; ami while th© Father gives.
I»c wants to be asked. Bat then he
doe* not wait till w© come of oor
own accord. No; he conic* to us,
and says, “Ask. and yo shall re
Orivo.” Me is iu n burry to give ;
bis h«-srt outran* his hand. Nay,
he tells us that before his children
call he will hoar; the answer to the
prayer will meet the prayer on the
way.
Every duty is a |»riviloge; evory
precept c«*mee with s promise hid in
its hoomn. “Draw near to God,” is
the doty; “He will draw near to
thee,” is the ftromise. And so prayer
is » command. Bat then, like the
raven* to Elijah, it comes with u*e«t
in its mouth. Oh, what a jmvilcge
to lie allowed to speak to God, to
ask him for all laid tip in the |>romses,
and to ask, assure*! that he is able
there not 1 to do above all that we are able to
Are there ask; and that he will, because he
prove me : try my beort and reins."
I should think that no unsaved man
will try socli a prayer alone with
God, and repeat the experiment. It
will prove too much ter total.
Or take another, and in social
prayer we must again change a word.
“Search M, O God, aad know us;
try us, and know our heart, and see
if there be any wicked way in us,
and lead us in the way everlasting.*
I think we might get through this
prayer in company; but, beloved,
oonld we go alone with God if not a
child, and ask the great God to deal
so with oaf “Search me, O'God,
and know me; try me and know my
heart, and see if there toe any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.” I think to enter our
closet ouce with such a prayer would
be enough. Ob, brother, if not con
scious that there is no albsetd sin in
our heart, we could not, we dare not
pray thus. If we can go to God,
and alone with him, to pray, I think
we many safely conclude that we
belong to the one family of heaven
and earth, of which God ia the
Father.
But it is a test to God’s people
whether they are thriving in the
divine life or not. If we are often
with God in secret, and can come
with filial confidence and ask, we
must be in a good state of soal; but
if ae oome but seldom, and if when
we ace in oar closet we fed shy aad
embarrassed, if we go in with reluc
tance, aod hurry out of God’s pros
ence, aod feel that we breathe more
freely when we are oat, things are
not with us as thej onoe were, or as
they should be, and the sooner we
get this strangeness when with God
removed, the better.—The Christian.
ing who settled tbs matter. No
Duds fault with mathematical dogmas.
True, mathematics to an exact
sctoncr. Well, take morals, aad a
practical example. A well known
young man was solicited te crime,
and rsfdtod, “Raw can I do this
wiekediiesft and sin against God f*
If oo© wished te expand the projio
sitioos ia this reply, there woo hi bo
found at toast these-
(a) There is a God. (b) There to a
distinction between right and wrong,
(o) He notices this and calls wrong
wfekedoe** and ain. Id) Adultery to
tin. (•) The commisstea of It ia sin
against him. Hare to n whole group
of the offending dogmas If tho
lady had enjoyed the advantage of
reading the CUrmmorim she might
have pronounced a smart little aaalbo
ms upon sorb “religion* dogmas*
and tho impertinence of obtruding
them upon her. Bat the bad only
“the learning of tho Egyptians,"
aod she replied in another army.
Now men see no ohjectioos to “dog
aia* in morals. We only wish the
dogmas of morale, like those of rs
iigion, tho u idest possible narepianro.
The Ten Command meats, for eaam
pie. are formally stated and authori
tatively settled and we are net aware
of aay mischief they have near inflict
of the dogma” wa« another name lor
Christian*
To ho intelligible aad dtotiset to
average mankind, dogma— even posi
Ur© dogma. If yoa will—is necessary,
and mode proper by divine com maud
and example j aad men know the
v aloe of distiactoeos la eommoe life.
The writer, in hie first visit te Glaa
gow, naked a not over busy mao at a
corner the way to • public building.
“On south aad tarn want,” was the
reply without aay idea of bring curt
or oerivtt. Now the iky ia Glasgow
does not always facilitate aatroaomi
cal observation*. I did not know
which wan south, aad the direction
was use tea*, (te to tril sinner* to
catch the sntrlt of cbrtottojiitv a to
help them little; and te belittle the
Christian doeuiA at the aame time is
te hmwlMtof MML
“Ah! bat,* some one says, It to
mute perishing for lark of knowledge,
that I can mi self instruct ? Have I
no Irreligious neighbors to reclaim f
Arc there no poor to relieve ? No j
whin** arid fsibertoss te visit ?
hath said it! “Ye shall receive.”
lie hs* condescended to tmv that he
; will reward secret prayer with an
open answer.
He hath done so, aud cases sre
Begin the year with more conduct ^ rmmled ; -but what are these among
in tiro smuttfcmcnt of your affsirn, t m> manvf Jaoob wrestled alone
•ml rvsmlde Ezra and bis brethren, with God, and we have th© open
That to te sag, you disapprove of
Baa aad dislike psraecuttoo Wo all
ftgros about that; bat would it not
too wins testy it prsetoriy, aad save
1 For there has
religion smoug a
wiiknnMdngma, and it ia oot
aver will be : and to
inanity boidinj
clear that there
for
look ter a community holding and
perpetuating the spini of Christianity,
its iigmn. would be
oak© good
schools by
ia our in Ji by throwing
oot tho thasroms aad prspooitioas of
Euclid sal srory equivalent
Nam York “
who “did according te the custom,
as the duty of every day required.”
God has said, “Let every thing be
done decently sud in order.* Mndh
of your comfort will arise from regu
larity iu your meals, in your dero
tious, ia your callings; aod your
piety will be aided by it. Have a
place to receive everything, an cud
to rimpiify it, a rule te arrange It.
Leave nothing for tbs morrow that
ought to be discharged to day. 8uf
ficicnt tor each period will be ita
own claims; aod your mind oogbt
te be always at liberty to attend te
fresh engagement*.
Finally. Time—this abort, this
uncertain, this aiUmportant time,
upon every instaufof which eternity
depend*, will not allow of our trifling
away aay of ita momenta. Resolve,
therefore, te redeem it Gather op
ita fragment*, that nothing be lost.
Especially rescue it from needles*
sleep; aod If you have hitherto ae
cuatomed yourself te the ahatnefril
indulgence ef lying late la bed, begin
the new year with the habit of early
rising; by which yo« will paomote
health aad improvement of
kind, aad ’Jvb much longer
answer in Esau weeping ou hiaueck.
We have Elisha in secret with the
dead child, and we have the open
answer in the liriug boy in hia
mother’s loving Arms. We have
Daniel in secret prayer, and we have
the open answer in the presence of
the angel* in the den of lions with
Daniel.
We have the privilege of secret
prayer net forth iu the example of
Jesua. He lived in secret comma-
uiou with God. He spent whole
nights in prayer. He went up into
a mountain alone (John vi: 15), and
even in tha hour of agony be was
alone in prayer. “Sit ye here while
I go yonder and pray ;* and in that
prayer, “Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from me,” no one could
join, for no hand but his own could
handle that awftd cup, so this must
have been secret prayer.
Job asks, “Will the hypocrite al
ways call oo God I” The answer to
not doubtful; be will not. He may
call on him in a certain way, but be
will not often, If ever, enter his oloaet
and pray to God in secret He may
do eo, hat it will be to the Almighty,
and be will And neither pleasure nor
Pillow Prayers.
■ —
Wc do uot mean those which are
sleepily offered after one has got into
bed, because too lazy to kneel before.
We refer to the communion with
God, pet iu it led those who can uot
sleep; who, from illness, or cars, or
constitutional infirmity, are com
pelled to drag through the weary
hours of wakefuluess. To such as
these prayer to au unspeakable com
fort.
God to then especially near. The
deep silence of the night, the all-en
veloping darkness, which, as a car-
tain, he has drawn over the sleeping
world, the helplessness and depen
denco in which all are* laid, give the
most impressive realization of His
being and presence. It is good at
such times, if you can, to recite to
yonrself passages from the Scrip
tures. With what force and sweet
n*ss do they oome to you, and what
fullness of comfort have they for the
tired and sorrowing! So with fa
miliar hymns, which, indeed, are ut
terances iu other terms of the pre
cious truths ot His Word, Many of
these are doubly dear from the asso
ciations they bring with them, the
fragrance of remembered hours of
communion with friends, or special
experiences of your own soul, or the
histories of others who made these
the vehicles of their devotion.
But bayond all these ia the sweet
ness of prayer itself. You can then
talk with your Father with fin ut
most freedom, aad even famMarity.
There to great relief often ia simply
telling him of our trials. It brings
us the sense of Hia qyofkthy, it
takes away the loneliness which one
feels in sorrows which oould he told
in no earthly ear.
So the restless pillow may be
soothed by prayer. The tedium of
the weary hours will be beguiled,
and the night, which else would
drag its alow paoe along, will quickly
pass. And He who seeth in secret
will answer your prayers. We re
member a young man, in giving the
history of his conversion when about
to make a profession of religion,
stated that his first serious impres
sion* wore caused by hearing his
father and mother, who slept iu an
adjoining room, praying for thoir
children dnring the night